Serendipity
by writergrrrl
Summary: It was complete luck that brought Roman and Alison together that day, and he would continue to see her as his charm. Will they find their way to each other, or will their different lives drive them apart? Roman/OC And you know how I can get, so the rating is there for a reason.
1. Chapter 1

A baby let out a frightened shriek as the commercial airplane shook and dipped violently, jolting Roman Reigns awake and toppling a cup of dark wine from the tray of the harassed looking business man next to him. Before he could become upset with the red liquid soaking through the leg of the gray sweats he wore, the cabin shuddered and bobbed once again. Roman frowned darkly and lowered his headphones as the pilot's voice floated out over the anxious passengers.

"This is your captain speaking. I am very sorry about this turbulence, everyone. A storm has changed course and came in off the ocean. We tried to get above it, but that's just not working, and things are only going to get worse from here. It looks like we're going to have to make an unscheduled landing in Atlanta." The voice was silent for a few moments as the man in charge of their flight gave his charges a few moments to grumble. "Again, I apologize. As we have already been cleared, we will be landing in ten to fifteen minutes."

Grimacing at the thought, Roman had to admit that stopping in a random city was preferable to a fiery death due to crashing or a lightning strike. He put his tray away and his seat in its original upright position before the uniformed girl at the front of the cabin could give the instructions. Looking forward to being able to lie down and rest his aching body, Roman gripped the armrest and waited.

Maybe there was a bright side to this whole thing after all. Staying in a hotel for the night would allow him to have some peace and quiet while he could be away from Mariah and her petty problems. He had no clue when the woman had gone from being loving and helpful to a jealous and clinging bully, but then he had been just as confused when she started introducing herself as his girlfriend a few months ago. Now, he was debating whether or not he should just call the whole thing off.

The landing was the bumpiest Roman had ever experienced, and he was glad when the go ahead was given and people began to stand and retrieve their belongings from the overhead compartments. He allowed most of the other travelers to clear the aisles before he stood and followed suit. Two flight attendants tried to slip him their numbers as he left, and he sighed heavily as he politely refused their advances.

The trouble really began when he entered the main concourse of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in search of a quiet corner. A small boy recognized him, and he was obliged to stop for a quick photo. This quickly snowballed into a large crowd all attempting to get his attention. When a few people started pushing and shoving, he began to worry that someone would get hurt.

"Excuse me!" The woman's voice was at once professional and demanding, though nowhere near as shrill as Vicki Guerrero. "Everyone, excuse me please."

Two security guards moved people to the side as a woman wearing a deep blue dress uniform jacket and slacks smiled at the disheveled customers surrounding her. "Mr. Reigns needs to follow me. If everyone else would please form a line, we have vouchers that can be used at any of our dining establishments. Please turn to your left and see any of the people wearing green. They will be pleased to assist you."

Retrieving his bags, the woman passed them off to one of the guards before motioning him to follow her. "Let's get out of here while they're distracted."

Chuckling, he obeyed. "Thanks."

"It's absolutely no problem. My name is Vera, and I am in charge of customer service. We have a VIP lounge just around the corner, where you should be quite comfortable."

"Yeah, I should probably see about getting a room."

Vera offered a reluctant smile. "I would be glad to help you with that, but there are officially no rooms to be had."

"I'm sorry?" Roman had been through this airport a few times and could recall a wealth of hotels around it.

"The weather rolled in quickly, and the hotels surrounding the airport filled just as fast. Those in the city proper are hosting conventions and conferences this week, and so are also now completely booked. Quite frankly, the VIP lounge here will be safer, more comfortable, and far cleaner than any room you could find vacant."

When the large mirrored door opened, Roman had to admit that Vera had a point. Two large flat screened televisions graced opposite walls. A fireplace crackled merrily at the far end of the room. Stuffed chairs and leather couches were arranged artfully around the room. There was no way in hell that he was going to pass this up in favor of a fleabag motel somewhere.

As he turned to thank Vera for her help once again, a door to the side opened to reveal a nicely appointed bathroom and a tiny woman. She wore a dress with a ruffled, layered hem in contrasting patterns of checks, stripes, and lace. A long, white crocheted cardigan topped off the outfit, sashed with a black scarf and making her appear as if she had stepped out of some indistinct period of the past, though he had the feeling he had seen her before. Bright copper hair hung in a thick braid over her shoulder.

"Hello," her smile was open and welcoming without a hint of the leer he had seen in many of the women in the airport concourse. "Alison Hedland."

Suddenly recognizing the name, Roman smiled and shook her hand as gently as his giant paw would allow. "Roman Reigns."

"Should I call you Roman or Mr. Reigns?" Alison knew her dimples were showing, but she couldn't help but smile widely in reaction to the grin on his face.

Chuckling, he nodded. "You're a fan?"

"I grew up with a lot of brothers in a military family. There's no way I could get by without watching wrestling. I guess it just sort of stuck."

"Well, lucky for us! Please, just call me Roman."

Vera let them know where they could find a stack of menus for restaurants in the airport, and gave them a direct number to reach her for any of their needs before she left to attend to other duties.

Roman couldn't stop looking at the little copper haired woman with the large emerald eyes. While her music wasn't to his usual tastes, he would admit to having a few of her songs on his iPod. Seth and Dean both agreed on some of her more guitar driven songs, though they had others that they did not share. Alison Hedland was a superstar who regularly sold out arenas, wrote music that made others feel deeply, and inspired dirty thoughts in men and women the world over.

And Roman felt like the luckiest son of a bitch on the planet to have ended up being stranded with her.

"So, where were you headed?" Sinking down onto one of the leather couches, Alison began picking through the menus.

"Home to Pensacola." He joined her at the other end of the couch. "We've got the next three days off before we have Raw on Monday."

"Sucks that you have to spend your days off in an airport." She wrinkled her nose in distaste. "At least you have comfortable clothes, though. Mine are suck on the plane, and I thought nothing could happen on such a short flight, so I didn't bring any on board with me."

"There are worse places I could be right now. I've got a shirt and some shorts you could borrow." Roman chuckled. "And I should probably call my mom and Mariah before they both start freaking out."

Alison smiled and motioned over her shoulder to the bathroom. "How about I go change while you make your calls?"

Pulling one of his Shield t-shirts from his case, he located a pair of drawstring shorts that he hoped would work on her petite frame. When she smiled and slipped into the other room, he couldn't help but follow the natural sway of her hips. Shaking his head sharply, he focused on the calls he needed to make.

His mother was glad to hear he was safe and told him to let her know when he was going to take off again. Hanging up with her, he took a deep breath and then called Mariah's cell phone. It rang four times before going to voicemail, and she called him back as he was leaving her a message.

With a silent curse, he accepted the call. "Hey."

"Hey!" Her voice was way too loud, and he knew instantly that she had been drinking. The loud, thumping music pulsing through the speaker had him curling his lip in distaste.

"Are you seriously at a club right now?"

"So what if I am? It's not like I'm a child. Besides, I had to find **something **to do while I waited for your flight!"

"So getting completely trashed to the point of not being able to pick me up at the airport sounded like a good idea?! Besides, don't you have work in the morning?"

Her heavy sigh had him gritting his teeth in frustration. "It's only 9:00, Roman. Besides, I've been thinking about quitting for a while now so I can take care of you."

"What?" Now frustrated beyond reason, he growled lowly. "Look, I'm stuck in Atlanta. I'll call you when I get home."

Hanging up before she could respond, he listened for any movement from the bathroom. Hearing none, he quickly dialed Dean's number and smirked when the other man answered. "'Sup?"

"Nothin' man. Just waiting on a connecting flight. You home?"

"Nah, hit one hell of a storm and had to land in Atlanta."

"Dude, that sucks!" Dean was well aware of how frustrating traveling could be. "You swarmed yet?"

"It looked bad for a second, but they put me up in a VIP lounge for the night since the local hotels are booked and they didn't want a riot on their hands."

"That's fuckin' sweet, man!"

Roman smiled widely as Alison stepped out of the bathroom, holding the hem of the shirt up with her chin and rolling the top of the shorts down so they would fit her more snuggly. There was something inked into the skin at her right side, though she was too far away for him to make out what. When she let go of the shirt, it fell to mid-thigh and nearly obscured the shorts completely. Her legs were toned and bare, ending in impossibly tiny feet.

"Yeah, it's not all bad." Roman chuckled. "You'll never guess who is currently stranded here with me."

Dean huffed. "I fuckin' hate games, man. Just tell me."

"Alison Hedland just stepped out of the bathroom of the VIP lounge wearing one of my Shield shirts and a pair of my athletic shorts because she only had a dress."

"You've got to be shitting me right now!" Dean's voice at once held disbelief and pride.

Seeing Alison sinking down on the couch once again, he motioned toward his phone. "My friend Dean doesn't believe that we're sitting here together."

"Dean as in Ambrose?" Alison had been a fan for years, and was happy to see him finally making a real name for himself in a company that had standards for the talent's welfare.

Alison motioned to the phone. "Put him on speaker."

Roman hit the button. "You're on speaker, so try to behave."

"What's the point in that?"

Alison giggled. "Hello, Mr. Ambrose. How are you doing?"

The line was silent for a moment, and then Dean's boisterous laugh cracked through the air. "This really Alison Hedland?"

"Yes, sir. I'm about to post a pic to twitter that'll serve as proof if you follow me."

"Yeah, yeah. I'll see it. Now, take me off speaker, you fucker."

Alison chuckled and decided to prove Roman wasn't lying to his friend and ruffle a few feathers all at once. Retrieving her phone, she pulled up the camera and switched it to take photos from the screen so she could see herself. Twisting to get Roman in the background, she waited for him to notice and flash a small smile before taking the picture.

She captioned it with '_Look who I ran into while stuck at the airport_ _#Stranded #NotComplaining_' and posted it to Twitter. She wondered briefly if she would get many death threats, and then decided that it didn't matter. Obsessive, weird fans were the same the world over, and she refused to have people she didn't know impacting her ability to be silly and have fun.

Roman finished his call and soon looked back to her. "So, where were you heading?"

"I was on my way to Tampa for a show after visiting my parents for their anniversary." Holding up the menu for One Flew South, Alison smiled. "You're a sushi person, right?"

"Oh, hell yeah." Accepting the heavy cardstock, he began looking over the selection. "You ordering from here?"

"Nah, I need something with a little more fat content." Holding up the menu for GRINDHOUSE Killer Burgers, she grinned. "This is all me."

Roman chuckled. "You want **more **fat?"

"My metabolism is out of wack and I have to have a certain level of calories and fat when I'm on tour, or I just can't keep up and then I end up in the hospital with exhaustion."

"Huh," Roman shrugged. "Well, everyone's body is different. We all have to learn how we work."

After calling Vera to figure out who was in charge of their dinner orders, Alison put on a pot of coffee while he flipped through the television channels and ignored two phone calls.

Observing him while he was focused on Sports Center, Alison let her eyes wander slightly. His muscle structure was quite impressive, the black ink decorating the length of his right arm a beautiful testament to his Samoan heritage. He had his hair pulled back into a low bun, and Alison found herself anticipating when he would finally let it down. The man was beautiful, but she knew he had to have someone waiting on him at home.

When he growled in frustration and sent yet another call to voicemail, she frowned. "You okay?"

"Yeah, just dealing with some bullshit at home."

Nodding, she stirred some half and half into her coffee and joined him on the couch. "Well, I'm a pretty good listener if you want to talk about anything. Won't go spreading it around, either."

Roman remained silent until their food arrived and she spread dressing over her salad before digging in with gusto. If he wanted to talk, she would listen. However, she wasn't going to badger anyone into a conversation they didn't want to have. Checking her Twitter, she giggled at the comments she had received and that she and Roman Reigns were now trending worldwide.

Roman ignored three more calls before he had finished his first round of sushi and then turned to his companion. "I think my girlfriend is a gold digging bitch who is cheating on me every time I go out of town to wrestle."

Alison nearly choked on a crouton. When she finally got control of her breathing, she turned her green eyes on him. "Well, do you have any proof? Because paranoia can happen. However, if the trust is gone, then there's no point in continuing with a relationship."

"We met nearly a year ago and started dating whenever I was in town a few months after that. About six months ago, she started introducing herself as my girlfriend. When I called her earlier, she was at a club and already hammered instead of getting ready to come get me at the airport. Then, she says she's been thinking of quitting her job so she can 'take care of' me."

Having finished her salad, Alison took a large bite of her giant burger and chewed thoughtfully. She had seen this type of behavior before, and instantly wanted to travel to Pensacola to slap the woman. _Who even __**does **__that shit?!_

"Well, then." Alison nodded. "It sounds to me as if you have a real problem on your hands. She's moving far too quickly for you, which is obvious, and it also sounds as if she's having some fun on the side.

"Now, I'm not going to tell you that you should break up with her. But, I do think you two either need to talk and sort things out or go your separate ways."

Roman nodded. "Yeah, that's what I was thinking."

Finishing the rest of their dinner in companionable silence, the two new friends settled in to a friendly game of cards as the lightning flashed outside the windows and the rain sheeted down from above. When Alison's voice began to trail off and her head bobbed heavily on her shoulders, Roman moved to lay her down. One of the airline workers came in with pillows and thick blankets, and Roman made sure she was securely tucked in before he lowered the lights and moved to the other couch to watch television and drift off to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

The storm raged through the night. Extremely high wind and hail the size of golf balls battered the buildings and tarmac amid a nearly constant chorus of thunder and lightning. They clattered against the windows and stirred Alison from her restful sleep. The airport lights outside gave the night an orange glow and illuminated the balls of ice so that the world appeared to be a sort of old noir movie from the Golden Age of Hollywood. Alison curled up under her blanket and lounged back against the pillows as she watched the world outside, chuckling quietly when Roman would give an occasional snore from his couch across the room.

She knew she shouldn't be thinking of him the way she was. He had a person who considered herself his girlfriend, and Alison had never been the type to tempt a committed man. Though, from the sound of things, Roman was unhappy with the situation and planned to end things with the woman soon. That would make him available. Sweet, gentlemanly, attractive men did **not **stay available for long. And, if a faint heart never won a fair lady, it certainly wouldn't win a man like Roman.

Making a quick decision, Alison stood and silently padded over the plush carpet barefoot. Scooping his phone up from the table beside him, she quickly typed her name and number into his contacts list. Thinking to take a picture to accompany the information, she looked down at herself and grimaced. Yeah, that wasn't happening. Laying the cell back where she found it, she decided to make some coffee and do a little reading. She knew from experience that there would be no more sleeping that night, despite it being barely 4:00 in the morning. Too many years waking up at the crack of dawn had made her an early riser, though she grumbled about it most mornings.

Picking up her own phone, Alison giggled. The Twitterverse was going insane with rumors about her and Roman's supposed relationship. Perez Hilton had personally texted her asking if she had any comments to make regarding all the speculation and playfully calling her a whore. Shaking her head, she sent back that they were not dating, but that she was stuck at an airport with no comfy clothes, and that he had helped her out by supplying more suitable sleepwear.

_Gurl, you know you need to make a move on that gorgeous hunk of man meat! – PH_

_He has a girlfriend. I DID put my number in his phone though XD_

_I'll squash the rumors, but promise me you'll let me know if he calls. You need a good, strong man! – PH_

_Yeah, yeah. Of course I'll tell you!_

Thinking about how the rumors could cause problems for Roman, Alison shook her head. She really should have known that posting that picture would cause an uproar, and she knew that the wrestlers did a lot of interviews and appearances that could affect their in ring opportunities. Alison was a child of the 90's, and spent enough time on tumblr and Twitter to know that the boys in the Shield had far too many fangirls to just start posting stuff without being prepared to deal with the backlash. Pulling up her Twitter app, she took a picture of the hail and lightning against the lights of the airport.

_Bad night out. Glad gentlemen still exist and that I wasn't stuck sleeping in a dress. We aren't dating, ppl. __#__RemainCalmAndFangirlOn _The retweeting started immediately, though she was surprised to see how many were commenting positively about the possibility of the two of them becoming a couple.

A middle aged man stopped by just as the weather broke and began to clear at 8:00 to introduce himself as Jason, Vera's replacement, and asked if there was anything Alison thought they would need.

"I assume that you will need access to your belongings, or that you will require new clothing." Jason's voice held that cultured note that southern men acquired with a college education.

"I'd actually be okay flying in what I have on, but it isn't mine. Throwing my dress on from yesterday wouldn't be the worst thing ever, though I would like some new socks."

"You can keep the clothes," Roman's voice was like dark, sinful chocolate while it still held the rasp of sleep, and Alison bit her cheek to keep from moaning as he stood and stretched. "I don't mind."

Jason's eyes flickered over Roman's form as the giant of a man began folding his blanket. "Please let me send for a selection of dresses from the boutiques in the airport. We have some very lovely clothes."

"That really isn't necessary." Alison grinned as she caught Jason joining her in watching as Roman walked into the bathroom. "He really is too beautiful to be real, isn't he?"

"My, yes." His sigh of agreement sent a blush over his cheeks, and he began stuttering. "I – I – I mean, I'm sure I just don't know wh-what you're talking about. In any case, please don't make me be the one who lets you walk out of here in either a huge, floppy shirt or yesterday's clothes. My boss would be very angry."

"Well, I don't want you getting in trouble with your boss. . . "

"Size 5? With a shoe in 7?"

Alison was impressed. "That's very good!"

"My mom has been a seamstress all her life. You pick up on things." With a wink and a promise to bring back some breakfast as well as the clothes, Jason was gone.

"Hey," Roman tried to make his voice lighter and grimaced slightly at the growl that happened instead. "Are we ordering out for breakfast?"

"Jason said he's bring some back along with some clothes for me to choose from."

"Why the hell won't they just let you get your shit from the plane?"

"Because airlines make absolutely no sense?" Alison snorted. "Plus, it would probably add five hours to me getting out of here once this shit passes."

"Yeah, I'm not looking forward to this shit."

"No doubt." She nodded. "Why not just avoid the whole clusterfuck and let me drop you off?"

"What?"

"Well, it's about an hour flight from here to Pensacola, and then a little more than that to Tampa." Alison gave a lackadaisical one-shoulder shrug. "My plane could stop there and then go on. You only have a few days off, and my show isn't until tomorrow anyway."

He blinked at her slowly. "Seriously?!"

"Well, you helped me out. And we're sorta friends now."

"I would call us friends. You trust me enough to be alone with me?"

Alison chuckled. "There will be a pilot, copilot, and an attendant in the air with us. Besides, if you really wanted to hurt me, you had long hours last night to do so."

"Well, that's true." He nodded before frowning. "What about what people will say?"

Alison snorted. "DGAF. Now, get dressed and packed."

"'DGAF'?"

"Don't Give A Fuck." Alison smirked at his responding chuckle and checked the room over to see if she had inadvertently left anything.

Jason swept into the room fifteen minutes later, carrying a tray of steaming cups and waving two younger men to the table where they began unloading plastic covered bowls of cut fruit and containers of pancakes along with little plastic cups of syrup. A third person, this one a younger woman with a tight brown ponytail, swept into the room carrying egg white omelets for Roman. After all the food was deposited, and Alison and Roman were happily eating, five wheeled racks of clothing were brought in for inspection.

Quickly choosing a gauzy summer maxi dress and a pair of sandals, Alison returned to the table. "Well, at least that was painless."

"You don't like shopping?" Roman smirked. "Isn't that the national women's pastime?"

Alison giggled. "I like shopping, but not when people feel like they need to bring the store to me. I'm not Elvis or anything."

"Please, you would turn heads even if you weren't famous."

Frowning around a bite of pancake, Alison chewed hurriedly before speaking. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Come on, now! You have to know you're gorgeous."

Alison's cheeks grew warm, and she was suddenly unable to look up from her plate. "Um. . . Okay? Thank you?"

Her pink cheeks threw the fine sprinkling of freckles over the bridge of her nose into stark relief, and Roman found the effect absolutely enchanting. "Did I embarrass you? Why?"

"Well, yeah!" Alison snorted. "I clean up alright, but I'm nothing special."

The matter of fact way in which she spoke drew him up short. "You really believe that, don't you?"

"When I'm not on tour, I work out five or six days a week to keep from ballooning, and because I'm used to a certain level of physical activity. Performing for hours nearly every night and yoga keeps me pretty good when touring, though I pick up some Crossfit where I can and do a lot of running." Pushing her empty plate away, Alison sighed.

Roman frowned and scanned what he could see of her body. "You look like you're in good shape, and shaped very nicely. But I was talking about the rest of your appearance."

"My nose is stumpy, and my jaw too round. I have freckles all over, and my lips are uneven. I'm short, and my hands are like a ten-year-old's!"

It was his turn to snort in disbelief. "I have no clue how to even respond to that, other than to say you're wrong on so many different levels."

"Whatever, I'm going to go change." Hopping up from her seat, Alison scooped up her new clothing and disappeared into the bathroom.

Speaking about her appearance always made her uncomfortable. Ever since Mikey Slone called her 'pig nose' when she was in kindergarten, she had hated that feature. Jane Davenport called her 'balloon head' when they were in second grade together, but Alison's father had been transferred two months later, so the nickname that had managed to stick didn't follow her for long. While her freckles were small and only littered the bridge of her nose and the skin just at the tops of her cheeks, they were always zeroed in on and pointed out by at least one person in each new school. It wasn't until high school that boys began mentioning her lack of height, and she had begun wearing heels whenever possible. Being in the music business had only brought new scrutiny and criticisms to every visible flaw, and it was only by owning what was wrong that she was able to ignore the jabs.

Roman sat in his chair, staring at the door through which Alison had disappeared, tears teasing the corners of her pretty green eyes. What he said that upset her so much? He thought she was, hands down, one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen in his entire life. Taking into account the women he saw on a nearly daily basis, that was saying something.

Frowning to himself, he shrugged and began scrolling through his phone to see that he had 23 missed calls and nearly a hundred texts. Mariah was responsible for nineteen of the calls, while Seth, Dean, and Cesaro made up the others. Roman briefly wondered what the WWE universe would think of the mighty Cesaro being a nosey, lovable gossip before dialing the number to retrieve his messages. The voicemails left by Mariah began sweet enough (though she was clearly irritated), and ended with her shrieking insults and accusations of infidelity. The boys were all interested in what it was like hanging out with one of the hottest female music stars in existence. His twitter feed held more of the same, though he got a laugh out of Alison's tweet that morning.

He started to scroll through his contacts to find Seth's number. The younger man was usually good at figuring out women, and he could use some advice. A new contact left him grinning. Alison had given him her number, and that **had **to mean something. When she stepped out of the bathroom, combing through her massive curls, Roman zoomed in on her peaceful face and snapped a picture to go along with her number.

Alison spoke briefly with Jason and then the pilot before telling Roman that he would need to have someone there to pick him up, and they were in the air. Alison made sure to tip Jason and Vera for taking such exemplary care of the two of them, though Roman was in the bathroom changing at the time. She had a feeling he wouldn't be all that comfortable with the way she treated money. She had been raised without a lot of it, and knew that she couldn't take it with her. What was the point of having it if she didn't spend it on others?

O:O:O:O:O:

Roman stepped into his apartment, and into a maelstrom. A vase of roses shattered a foot from his face, and he shouted as he dove to the side.

"Motherfucker!"

Mariah stomped across the living room and slapped him hard across the face. "You cheating son of a bitch!"

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Roman pushed himself away from the wall and leaned down to get into her face. "How the hell did you get into this apartment? I never gave you a key."

"Well, I found your spare." Her pout made him want to growl and punch something. "I didn't think you would mind if I came in to clean up while you were gone."

"Yeah, I fucking mind. I don't let just anyone come in here."

Mariah stomped her meticulously pedicured foot in her gold toned heeled sandal. "But, I'm not 'just anyone'! I'm your goddamned girlfriend!"

"Let me make something clear." Positioning himself between her and the rest of his apartment, he forced himself to control his grip as he lightly grasped her upper arms and began backing her toward the door. "I didn't sleep with Alison, even though I would have been free to do so because **you are not my girlfriend**! You never were, and I was a fool for letting you tell people that. We went out sometimes and fucked occasionally. That's it. The end. Goodbye."

The door slamming in her face was so satisfying Roman allowed himself a satisfied chuckle even as she stood on the small porch and ranted. The glass was a little tricky to clean up, but he managed well enough. He grimaced at the musky stench of the deep red roses, which were obviously grown for their color with no regard for scent. Mariah was still sulking on the porch when he finished cleaning.

Opening the door, he handed her the bag containing the flowers and glass. "Here. You forgot this."

Her angry shriek made him laugh loud and long before he sent a text to Dean, Seth, and Alison. _Told Mariah to get out and never come back. She found my spare key and came in to throw a vase at my head and scream at me._

Seth was the first to answer. _That's crazy! You didn't need to put up with that shit. Anyone who isn't helping you at this point, is not someone you need to be around._

Dean's text was a lot less nice. _Stupid bitch should be happy she didn't get her ass handed to her._

He just chuckled and answered the two of them with a shared message. _I just wanted her gone at that point, and throwing shit at my head wasn't the best way to say hello._

A few moments later, his phone chimed with another text message. This one was from Alison. _That's a bit scary! You okay?_

Roman frowned. Why wouldn't he be okay? _Yeah, I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?_

_Because breakups are hard. _Alison, still aboard her plane rolled her eyes.

_They're only hard if you were actually dating and really loved the person._

Alison had to concede the point there. _Good point. Might want to change your locks._

_Why? She only came in the once._

Again, she rolled her eyes. Men were so easy sometimes. _Are you __**sure**__ about that? And are you certain she didn't make a copy?_

_Shit. _Roman wanted to slam his head against the wall. _You're right. Now, I have to call someone to get that done._

_I'm getting ready to land. _Alison nodded to the attendant who had just informed her of their imminent arrival. _Glad you got the whole not your girlfriend thing handled._

_Talk to you later?_

Alison felt a thrill at the idea. _Sure, I'll be around._

_Later, Babygirl. _ Roman felt his lips curl into a lopsided, secretive grin. Yeah, he liked the sound of that a lot.


	3. Chapter 3

"Hi mom, it's Ali. Just calling to let you know I landed in Tampa okay." Flopping down on the large hotel bed, she sighed and happily kicked off her sandals. "I'm free for the rest of the day aside from a few interviews this evening. Give me a call if you want to talk. Love to you and Daddy. Bye."

Hanging up, Alison was happy that she had set up a wakeup call for later that afternoon. Marko and Hawk, two members of her security team, were in the suite's common room, but they were not in charge of making sure she was awake or on time. They, like every member of her security, were former active service Marines. Where she went, they went as well. It kept her father from fighting against her chosen career and making life difficult.

Her nap lasted a few hours, and Alison woke feeling much more prepared to be wide eyed and happy for the radio interviews she would be giving soon. Dressing for comfort in a black puffy tutu and a blue t-shirt reading "I will never get over the emotional damage British television has caused me", she slipped on a pair of four inch heels with ankle straps and backs that were styled to look like flower petals. Wrangling her massive curls into a thick braid that ended below her hips, she applied some simple makeup and went to collect her escorts.

"Hey guys, we good to go?"

"Yes, ma'am." It was Hawk who spoke as he and Marko stood from their seats and slipped their suit jackets on over their polo shirts and shoulder holsters. He was the newest man on her payroll, and the most recent out of the Corps.

Marko was already calling down to make sure the huge SUV in which they would be traveling would be outside the lobby doors when they reached the ground floor. They rarely had any trouble with overzealous fans or threatening individuals, but they believed in being prepared for the worst. Alison was happy to employ veterans, and was proud that working for her seemed to give them a foothold in returning to normal civilian life.

The drive from the hotel to the radio station took them through the city, and Alison convinced the driver to swing through a drive thru Starbucks for a latte. She sipped her dink and scrolled through her twitter, retweeting interesting tidbits and letting everyone know that she was getting ready to be interviewed live. It would be replayed the next morning as well during rush hour. Marko and Hawk spoke quietly while Hawk scanned the sidewalks in the careful way that Alison had come to associate with vets who had served in the Middle East.

"How are you doing, Hawk?" Slipping her phone into her purse, Alison folded her hands in her lap and focused on the men in the car. "Nightmares any better?"

"I'm doing pretty good, I think. That number you gave me for the shrink really helped."

"Yeah?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I call and talk to this one Doctor twice a week."

"Good, good. I just wanted to check in. If there's ever anything that you need me to do, you just let me know."

"Yes, ma'am."

Marko cleared his throat from where his massive form took up the front seat and dwarfed the driver. "I've been meaning to talk to you about something, Miss Ali."

Alison smiled at the man's nickname for her. She still felt weird about such an enormous black man calling her "Miss", but it had taken her nearly a year to convince him to stop calling her Ma'am or Miss Hedland. She took this as a small victory.

"What's going on?"

"My contract is up at the end of next month, and I don't think I'll be renewing."

Alison frowned. She had never had any of her men opt to leave before. "Why? Is something wrong?"

"No, Miss Ali." He twisted in his seat as much as his wide shoulders allowed in order to smile at the small woman. "I'm going back to school to complete my degree so I can be an architect with my father's company."

"Well, I'm happy you found something you want to do!" Alison smiled. "Had me thinking I had done something you didn't agree with."

"No ma'am, nothing like that at all."

Alison reached forward and patted him on the shoulder. "Well, do me a favor. With you leaving, it means I have an opening. Help me decide whether Buffalo or Irish should take lead?"

"Absolutely."

Looking to Hawk, Alison smiled. "I would've included you, but you're the new guy."

"Not a problem, ma'am."

Alison chuckled and went back to people watching as the car slowly made its way through traffic.

Four hundred miles away from where Alison was greeting radio execs and DJs, Roman was letting the locksmith – an older Latino man named Gorge - into his apartment and pointing out what needed replaced. It was a pain in the ass, but it had to be done. Flipping on the stereo, he scanned through the stations until he heard her name.

"We'll be back with Alison Hedland to discuss all things Alison after her new song!" Screaming guitars and driving drumbeats filled his house before Alison's voice thrummed through the speakers.

"Hey man," Roman got the locksmith's attention. "It's hot as fuck out there. You want a beer?"

The older man smiled widely. "Hell, one wouldn't hurt."

Retrieving one for both of them, he settled onto the couch just as the song ended.

"Welcome back to the Dan and Arty Show! Today, we are speaking to Alison Hedland!"

Alison's voice held the hint of a giggle. "Hello to everyone out there listening!"

"Now, before we get into discussing your new album and upcoming tour, we have **got **to talk about your recent airport adventures!"

"I was wondering how long it would take you to bring that up." Alison sipped her now refilled latte.

"For those not in the know, Alison tweeted out a selfie of her wearing a t-shirt for WWE's the Shield with Roman Reigns in the background while they were both at the Atlanta airport last night. So, what's the scoop?"

Alison smiled. "Sorry, but there's no story here. We happened to be stuck at the same airport, all the shops were closed for the night, and I was stuck wearing my dress. Seeing that I was uncomfortable, he dug out a shirt and a pair of shorts for me to sleep in."

"That's it?" The host sounded absolutely crestfallen.

"Sorry, but that really is it." Alison shrugged. "We ate a late night dinner, played some cards, and went to sleep on separate couches."

Arty's voice was more nasal than his cohost's. "At least he had something pretty to look at, because you are just **gorgeous**."

Roman felt himself frowning as he leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees, noticing that Gorge had stopped to listen as well. He had listened to these two do interviews before, had even done one with them as part of the Shield, and knew that Arty was meant to be the clown of the duo. Sometimes, he went too far with females, and things got tense.

Alison kept her face and voice as friendly as possible, even though she disliked the man greatly. "Well, thank you, but I think he outshines me in that department. That is one fine man."

"So, you like big men, then?" Arty gave a very unmanly giggle. "Because I'm 6'1", and I've been hitting the gym a lot recently."

"That's very cool for you. It's good to get in shape." Trying to steer the conversation back to somewhere she felt comfortable, Alison grinned. "I think it's important for people to take care of themselves. And, yes, I like bigger men. Then, I'm only 5'1", so most people are big to me."

Roman smirked to himself. Only to frown as Arty continued.

"That's okay; it just means you're fun-size. Hey, after this, wanna come over to my place and watch my clean and jerk?"

Alison blanched at the way his eyes slid over her chest. "You're making me a bit uncomfortable right now. It is neither funny, nor welcome. Please stop."

Roman and Gorge both nodded in approval.

"What? It was a complement!"

"Arty, man." Dan broke in quickly. "I think you need to go to the bathroom or go get something to drink out of the vending machine and think about what you've been saying, dude."

When the other man stomped from the room, Dan spoke into the mic. "I'm so sorry for that. This is not the way our station is run, and I assure you that management will be having a word with him in the very near future."

Alison frowned as she watched Arty The Creep leave the studio and then turned her attention to Dan. "It's okay. You didn't know he was going to take things that far, and you stepped in to help."

"So. . . Are you a fan of the WWE?"

Alison gave a full, hearty laugh that tumbled from her lips easily. "Nice subject change, Dan. I'm a fan of wrestling in general, though I think its universal knowledge that the WWE is the best product on television at the moment."

"So, what are your thoughts on TNA or Ring of Honor?"

"TNA has some really great talent, though the product is so lackluster that it's difficult to watch at times. Dixie Carter **wishes **she could be the heel that Stephanie McMahon is. It's gotten to the point that my security guys can't be in the room when Stephanie is on, because they say her voice makes their balls try to hide." Alison laughed along with Dan for a moment before continuing. "Ring of Honor has some really amazing performers and interesting storylines, but they lack the cable deal to get their product out to the masses."

"You really are a fan." Dan chuckled. "Do you remember seeing any of the current pool of big name talent when they were in other places?"

"I remember Seth Rollins when he was Tyler Black during his Ring of Honor days along with CM Punk and Samoa Joe. Dean Ambrose went by a different name in IPW, CZW, and Dragon Gate. That stuff is INSANE, by the way, and I would suggest caution if any of your listeners decide to watch some of those matches."

"Yeah?"

Alison nodded. "Oh, yeah. I was pretty sure he was dead at a few of them because of the blood. One match, Thumbtack Jack stapled a mask to his face! No lie. His promos have always been super amazing, though."

"Oh, my God. Wow. Can I ask how you got to see so much wrestling?"

"Well, you see, my parents believed in allowing their children to discover what we wanted to do, and to encourage us all. My brothers have all enlisted at some point in the Marines, but it never felt like the right fit for me –"

"Now, your father's a Marine, right?"

"Yes, sir. He was just promoted to full Colonel."

"Wow, that's pretty amazing."

"Yeah, he came up through the ranks, and I am very proud of my daddy." Alison smiled. "Anyway, they agreed to pay for rent and food for a year so that I could concentrate on my music. Jersey had the combination of rent and affordable studio time that I needed, so I rented a crap apartment there. Whenever wrestling came through, I would go to the show because I knew I could pay for a ticket and the guys in the crowd would supply me with drinks and entertainment for the evening."

"Ah, so you could get drunk and watch wrestling all for the price of a ticket."

"Exactly!"

The two laughed and finished the interview as planned. Arty never returned, and Alison found out after they went off the air that he had been sent home and was now the subject of a performance review. Telling the station manager that he had made her feel uncomfortable, and as if he were undressing her mentally, Alison accepted an apology and was swept off to dinner.

Once the interview was over, Roman picked up his phone to survey the damage. She was trending on Twitter again, though there was also #MoxleyMask and #Alisonisamark. Smirking, he decided to add to the conversation.

_Great interview, AliRally! I'll have to tell Dean you're a fan. Good job with the creep._

O:O:O:O:O:O:

Sunday morning, Roman went to breakfast with his parents. It had become tradition to go out to eat with his mom and dad before big football games in college, and it had somehow carried over now that he was wrestling for a living. His mom liked to worry over his various storylines and bruises, asking after Jon and making sure Colby was getting enough to eat. His father would always chuckle lightly and tell him to let her fuss.

The waitress, a woman named Marsha who had been waiting on them for years, brought them their check and winked playfully at his father. "So, it looks like your son is more of a player than I thought!"

Roman stopped his conversation with his mom to look at her. "Why? What do you mean?"

"TMZ was reporting last night that you had left your fiancée for one Miss Alison Hedland. They had your ex on and everything."

Roman growled in his throat and stomped from the restaurant, yanking his phone from his pocket as he went. Dialing Mariah's number, he was cursing her out before she even said hello.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing, you stupid bitch?!"

"Why, just fucking with your plans the same way you did mine." She gave an evil chuckle. "Try being a Hound of Justice now that everyone knows you're nothing but a lying, cheating, pig!"

The line went dead, and he cursed again.

"Roman!" His mother's sharp rebuke echoed across the lot, and he was doubly glad that there were few cars there so early in the morning. "You watch that language!"

Roman hung his head and stooped his shoulders, trying to make himself smaller in the face of his mother's wrath. "Sorry, tina."

She smiled at his use of the Samoan word for mother and patted his cheek lovingly. "Now, you call this girl, and you –"

"I already tried calling the idiot, and she –"

"Not **her**. You call the girl she's talking bad on. Let her handle it."

Roman frowned. "Why can't I just do it? She had nothing to do with any of this."

"Because this is one of the few things that people won't believe a man over a woman for. Just call her."

Kissing his mom goodbye and giving his father a hug, Roman climbed into a cab and dialed Alison's number as he was driven to the airport.

"Hello?" Her voice was a strange combination of scratchy and muffled, as if her throat hurt and she was speaking through a mouthful of marshmallows. "Roman, is that you?"

"Shit, I woke you up." Now, he felt horrible.

"Yeah, kinda." She cleared her throat and sat up in the bed at the back of her tour bus. "What's up?"

"I'm sorry, babygirl."

He spoke without thinking about it, but she felt a tingle go down her spine anyway. "It's no big deal. I'm officially on tour now, so there's lots of bus sleeping to do."

"Not just about waking you. Mariah called TMZ and did an interview last night. She told them we were engaged, and that you broke us up."

Alison nodded, even though he couldn't see the gesture. "I'll make a few calls and handle it."

"Seriously? That's all you have to do?"

She snorted a laugh. "What, should I hunt down your ex and beat her up? I don't think that would help our case at all."

"No, you're right. It wouldn't."

"Let me call Perez and my lawyer, and I'll get right back to you."

"Yeah, okay." He had arrived at the airport and needed to do the check in and security stuff anyway.

Hanging up with Roman, Alison scrolled through her contacts for Perez's number. "Hey, sweetie!"

"Haaay!" It may have been 4:00AM in LA, but Perez kept crazy hours and was obviously wide awake. "I assume you're calling about that ratchet bitch bad mouthing you on TMZ last night."

"I highly doubt she's ratchet, but I **am **calling about her."

"Honey, the bitch is ratchet if we say she is." Perez's smirk could be heard over the phone. "You want me to put it out there that it's completely false, that you would **never **do such a thing, and that she's just mad?"

"Would you? Because that would mean that I have to love you lots."

"Consider it done, Honey."

"Yay! And you can add that I'm contacting my lawyers, because I'll be doing that as soon as we hang up.'

"I love how you know who has the power in this situation.

Alison stretched and decided to go for some hot tea in the small kitchen. "You have to control the rumors or they just go crazy."

Hanging up with him and leaving a message with her lawyer's answering service, she dialed Roman's number while her tea steeped.

"It's getting handled."

Roman smiled and sipped a bottle of water. "Already?"

"Well, Perez will have my rebuttal up in just a few minutes. And I should be hearing back from the lawyers by this afternoon."

"They work on a Sunday? And who the hell is Perez?"

"Perez Hilton is a celebrity blogger. He controls a lot of the rumor flow." Alison snorted. "And, for what I pay those lawyers, you're damn right they work on Sundays. I'm just glad you called me about it."

"My mom told me to." Roman could feel his cheeks warm slightly at the admission.

Alison giggled and briefly wondered when she had started doing that so often. "You always do what your mom says?"

"Hey, now. Samoan moms are scary!"

"I didn't say it was a bad thing. Hell, my mom kept my seven older brothers and me in line, and she was alone a lot of the time because my father was deployed."

Roman nearly choked on his water. "You have seven older brothers? **Seven**?"

"I told you I have a lot of brothers."

"Well, yeah. But **seven**?! How the hell did you ever get a date with that many older brothers hanging around and chasing them off?"

"Funny thing. When you do 12 years of school in 18 different places, having that many brothers is the least of your worries when it comes to dating." Alison chuckled. "Of course, having an active duty Marine as a father tends to help keep the boys away as well."

"So how many hearts did you have to break because of all that?"

Snorting, Alison took her mug back to her bedroom. "None."

"What, did you just hang with boys with balls of steel?"

"No," Alison sighed. "No one ever even tried."

Frowning, Roman leaned forward to focus on her voice. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that no one has ever asked me out. Now, people just sort of meet up at whatever party or gathering is happening, but men don't really ask women out in my circle of people."

"No one? Ever?" Getting a sudden realization, he smirked. "What about prom?"

"Never went."

"Not ever?"

"Not even once at any of the six high schools I attended."

Roman was speechless. "That must've been really hard."

"Some things were harder than others, but there were some really cool things about being a Marine's kid."

"You'll have to tell me sometime. Right now, I'm about to reach the front of the security line."

"Oh, yeah? Where're you off to?"

"Boston for Raw tomorrow night, then Philly to record Smackdown. We won't get to go home because of house shows this week, and then we'll be in Greensboro on Monday for Raw." Roman sighed and eyed the large woman who was shouting at the TSA agents about how she didn't want to be scanned because they would be looking at her naked. "What about you?"

"We're making our way up the east coast from Florida now."

That got his full attention. "Any chance you have some time off in there over the next week or two?"

"I have a show every night from here until Sunday, and then I have Sunday and Monday free."

"And where will you be by then?"

Alison flipped through her tour itinerary that she kept clipped to her bedside table. "Roanoke, Virginia is where I have the show on Saturday night. Tuesday, I have to be in Louisville."

Roman's heart kicked up a notch, but he tried to keep himself calm. "How about that. We both have Sunday off."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. How about you finish up in Roanoke, get some sleep, and then I'll pick you up. I mean, you'll have to put up with Jon and Colby, but we'd get to hang. Then, after Raw, you can fly to Kentucky."

Alison drew her blankets over her legs. "Roman, are you doing gymnastics with logistics just to ask me out?"

"I don't know. . . Is it working?"

"Yeah, I think it is."

Roman chuckled as the line began to more once again. "Then consider yourself asked out."

Alison giggled through their goodbyes, and Roman felt ten feet tall and bulletproof.


	4. Meeting Up

**A few people have commented that the names are bringing them out of the story, so I am going to go with wrestling names. I will go back and edit the chapters to reflect that. THANK YOU!**

Roman spoke to Dean and Seth, making sure it was okay with them if they picked Alison up from her hotel in Roanoke on Sunday. Dean had cracked a few jokes about the bigger man being whipped before he even got anywhere, but he had agreed easily. He asked if she would be bringing some new music to play on the trip. Seth had laughed jovially and bounced around in his usual way as he gave his consent.

It had helped that Seth, the most internet savvy of the three, had discovered Mariah's interview and the resulting Perez Hilton article.

'_In a move so classless that it would make Anna Nichol reevaluate her life choices,' _Seth spoke through his laughter to his friends. "_Mariah Bettencourt, the newly ex-girlfriend of WWE's resident slice of tall, dark, and incredibly sexy Roman Reigns, _(here, Seth and Dean dissolved into helpless laughter for nearly five minutes)_ has gone on TMZ and stated that Alison Hedland is responsible for breaking them up. The little strumpet had the audacity to imply that there was an engagement involved! My sources tell me that this is a clear case of sour grapes, as the breakup had more to do with her partying and insistence on staying out all hours of the night while Mr. Reigns was away and earning his paycheck than anything else. TMZ has been issued a cease and desist letter from Ms. Hedland's lawyers._

There was a rather horrible picture of Mariah crying as she spoke with the TMZ cameras. "_Shame on you" w_as scrawled in the customary Perez Hilton way next to her head. Dean had nearly wet his pants in laughter, while Claudio thought it to be hilarious. The large Swede raised his eyebrows and looked from the photo to his friend in blatant joking disbelief.

Roman had called Alison with his thanks, and she had shrugged it off uncomfortably.

"It just so happened that I was better suited to handle this one. If we end up needing your particular brand of skills, then it's all you."

"Alright, babygirl." Roman chuckled. "We still on for Sunday?"

"Of course," Alison giggled before giving him the name of the hotel. "My security will follow us so we don't have to pile into a bus."

Roman had forgotten all about her bodyguards. "Are you sure they're going to be okay with this?"

"They're awesome guys, and we have a lot of fun together, but they're paid to make doing what I want as safe as possible. Trust me, they'll be fine."

Hanging up, the two of them went back to their daily lives.

It just so happened that Roman's daily life had somehow become full of little moments that allowed him to text Alison. When it was one of the others' turn to drive, and he wasn't quite ready to sleep, Roman would text. If he found a quite half hour in the afternoon when he was resting before heading to the arena, he would call her to see how her day had gone so far. Knowing she had a show to do every night, he would text her after his live events were over and she would either text or call when she was showered and relaxing.

His simple 'how was your day' suddenly morphed into 'what was it like growing up all over the world' while Alison heard all about his childhood growing up in a loud, loving Samoan family and his football career. There were conversations about his ex-girlfriends and her past people that she referred to as 'whatevers'. These men had been a presence, but had somehow managed to make her feel somehow used and mostly unwanted.

"Men don't want to **be **with me as much as they want to **sleep with **me."

"What?" Roman's chest rumbled with his displeasure, and he sat up from where he had been lying on the hotel bed while the others went out for a drink.

Alison shrugged. "Well, it's true. Now that I'm famous and have money, I'm suddenly desirable when I wasn't growing up. Even the few men I saw between high school and now were really never there just for me."

"I'm not going to sit here and say that I've never thought of being inside you. I won't lie to you about that. But, I also like talking to you and seeing how your day has been."

Alison sighed quietly. "Well, I like talking to you too. It's nice to actually have a conversation that doesn't involve me either getting naked or describing what I have on."

Roman nearly roared with laughter.

The tension broken, the two fell back into a comfortable conversation about the craziest fans they had been forced to deal with. It was decided after some debate that Roman's fans were probably more insane than hers. Alison's fans tended to be either relatively well-adjusted teens or people who tended to feel alienated or depressed. In dealing with thousands of her fans, she had come to the realization that they were far more likely to ask her out for a cup of coffee or to a comic book shop than they were to harm her in any way. Most of them just wanted to have a bit of a conversation and to have their picture taken with her.

O:O:O:O:O:O:

Alison was just finishing up in the weight room of a local gym when her mother called Wednesday afternoon. "Hey mom!"

"Hey, Alison honey!" Anna-Kate Hedland's voice had never lost the sunny Georgia accent she had spoken with all her life. "How's the tour goin' so far?"

"Good, though a bit exhausting. I'm trying really hard to keep eating as much as possible, and I've been lifting weights to keep the muscle mass on."

"Doing any dancing?"

Alison smiled. "A little, but I don't have the room to do a lot."

"Well, try to take care of yourself." Her mom laughed. "Now, I'll get to the point of why I'm calling you so out of the blue."

"O-okay."

"Your father's been transferred to Camp Pendleton, out in California. He's going to lead Combat Logistics for Regiment 1."

Alison wasn't shocked at the transfer, as she had been expecting her father to receive new orders along with his promotion in rank. "Well, look at you being all hoity-toity and going to Pendleton! At least you don't have eight kids to move now."

"But we **do **still have all of your things boxed up and sitting in the garage. Honey, I don't want to force you out, but we have **got** to get you a place to call your own!"

"Well, shoot!" Alison sighed heavily, just barely remembering not to curse around her mother. "I know I need to find a more permanent spot than a rented hotel room, and it would be great to put down some actual, real roots."

"Maybe get a place big enough to get some family together once in a while?" Her mother's voice was hopeful.

Alison smiled. "That would be great! Maybe I should have Ronnie look for some places while I do the tour thing, and then I can look at them as soon as I have more than two days off?"

"It's a big world, baby. Any idea of where you want to settle?"

Sipping the Onnit shake Irish handed her, Alison put her mother on speaker and got Veronica's attention. Veronica "Ronnie" Garrison had married Irish just before he enlisted, so she had gotten a crash course in being a military wife pretty early on. Now, she helped keep Alison on track and on time for things as well as doing the little errands that could suck up time. Updating the other woman quickly, Alison began to list off her requirements. Having lived in a lot of different areas, she knew what she did and did not like.

"I would like it to be on the ocean, with warmer weather. It needs to be big enough to house a lot of people so I can have the family together sometimes. A pool would be nice, as well as a boat dock."

"So the pool and boat dock are good, but not requirements?" Ronnie smiled at Alison's nod. "What kind of budget are we looking at?"

Alison snorted and rolled her eyes. "Keep it under $2 million, and we'll be good."

Ronnie's boisterous laugh danced behind her as she strode down the hall to get to work, and Alison returned to her phone call.

"So. . ." Anna-Kate's voice became conspiratorial. "Tell me about this boy I've been hearing so much about, you little home wrecker."

"Moooooom!" Alison plopped down on her bed, slightly astonished that she finally got to be embarrassed about a guy. "He's not a 'boy', and we're not even dating!"

"Uh-huh, sure you're not."

"Well, I'm supposed to hang out with him on Sunday and then go to the show on Monday, but his friends will be there. Totally not a date."

"Oh, honey, you have no idea. If this young man is asking you to come to his work and to watch him do something extremely physical, then he's interested." Anna-Kate laughed. "It's just like when a boy wants his girlfriend to come watch him play football in high school, or how your father still gets a kick out of me seeing him run the boys."

"Then he's going to have to tell me that himself. I refuse to put myself out there if he's just in it for a little fun or to be friends."

Anna-Kate sighed at her daughter's stubbornness. "Well, I suppose you just have to take it like everything else. One day at a time.

"Just, if you're interested in a relationship, don't let him put it off for too long. You have too much life in you to waste it on a man who isn't worth it, or who doesn't want the same things as you. It's better to put aside a man who isn't able to commit than to stay just in case."

O:O:O:O:O:

When Rob Van Dam was injured during a house show on Friday, it was decided that Roman and Seth would be in a tag team match with the Usos during the next live event to fill the space. This meant that Roman wouldn't be able to pick Alison up at her hotel as previously agreed upon. Alison had only chuckled at the news and told him that she was sure she could find her way down to Greensboro Sunday, and that she would just meet him there.

Alison and her security team slept until mid-morning and took the time to go through a Crossfit WOD before showering and making sure everything was in order. They would go down to Greensboro in the rented Suburbans, and then be picked up by the tour buses to continue the tour. Ronnie had managed to contact a few people who dealt in high end realty and had them amassing information for her on houses.

Now, Buffalo was driving the lead SUV, his russet skin shining in the bright summer sun as his silken ebony hair whipped around in the breeze. Irish, his red hair clipped short, nervously flicked his cigarette ash out the window as his eyes surveyed any vehicle stopped along the side of the highway. Ronnie tapped away on her tablet as she moved between schedules and realty company websites. Hawk and Marko were following them in the second Suburban.

Alison had briefly worried that her white lace, cropped tank and flowed linen shorts would not be nice enough compared to what the women in the company would be wearing, but had decided that she didn't much care what the other women thought of her. She was there to see Roman and hang out with him and his friends, not to impress a bunch of stuck up bitches. The long beige cardigan and brown wedge sandals she wore lent a bit of class to the boho look, and her hair was being held away from her face by a braid across the crown of her head. If anyone had a problem with her shabby chic attire, then they could kiss her ass.

Having called ahead, they were able to pull into the underground parking garage at the hotel where they would be spending the night, the manager and concierge had the elevator doors locked open and were waiting to greet them. Alison texted Roman to let him know they had arrived, and was told that they would meet them in the lobby. Ronnie made sure the bellhops who had come with the hotel manager had their bags, and then the men escorted them into the elevator and up to the lobby.

At a few minutes past 2:00 in the afternoon, the lobby was far from crowded, though there were a suspicious number of WWE employees sitting in the comfortable chairs and leaning against the backs of couches. AJ and Punk were standing with Roman and his stable mates, and she was the first one to make eye contact with the new arrivals. She let the men know, and they turned to watch Alison and her entourage stride across the pink marble floor.

Roman felt his eyes widen as he looked over the four men surrounding Alison and a young brunette. The Native American man to her right had long black hair and a scar that ran from just below his hairline to his chin, bisecting the skin above and below his left eye in a way that said he was lucky to have kept it, and giving the edge of his mouth a permanent snarl. Another man had a hard, lean build, red hair so short it appeared nearly brown, and eyes like two chips of ice. The African American to the rear of the group had at least four inches and forty pounds on Roman, his chest so massive that it was hard to believe he could find a suit jacket in his size. The fourth was smaller, but more compact, than the others, with a flexing jaw and caramel eyes that skimmed over every nook and cranny of the room.

Allowing Ronnie to split off in order to handle the hotel details, Alison led the others over to Roman. "Hey!"

"Hey, babygirl." Leaning down, Roman marveled at how small she was as he wrapped her in a comfortable hug.

"Alright, alright, alright!" Dean's insistent voice drew them apart. "My turn!"

Shoving his hand out to Alison, he introduced himself simply. "I'm Dean."

"Alison. Pleas—OH!" Alison squealed happily as strong arms scooped her off her feet and into a hug. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and let him hug her tightly until he began spinning her in circles.

Twisting, she tried to focus on her guards in an attempt to stave of becoming dizzy. "Hey! Aren't you supposed to be helping me?"

Hawk shrugged and cracked a grin. "Mox violence."

Buffalo chuckled. "We guard you from threats, not hugs."

"Hey, man!" Seth held out his arms. "Share the wealth!"

When Alison was placed on her feet once again, she took a moment to collect herself before she smiled up at Seth. "Hello."

"Hey, little darlin'." Seth smiled sweetly. "Seth Rollins. Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you as well."

AJ waved lightly from her spot beside Punk. "Hi! I'm AJ!"

"Hello." Punk came forward after his girlfriend introduced herself. "CM Punk."

Soon, the almost the entirety of the WWE locker room had come over to say hello and introduce themselves to the tiny redhead. Alison introduced her guards so that there would be no confusion. Hawk made sure to let Dean know that he was a fan, which soon launched them into a discussion of their favorite bouts.

"Oh my God!" Brie Bella smiled brightly. "I adore your outfit!"

"Thanks, I like to be comfortable whenever I can."

The twins known as the Usos were next, followed by Jimmy's fiancée, Naomi, who smiled kindly. "These guys can be a little crazy."

Alison laughed. "Honey, I once had Bryan Cranston feeding me shots of chili pepper-infused tequila while Aaron Paul and Norman Reedus tried to explain the plotlines of _Pulp Fiction _to a very, very stoned Snoop Dogg. Trust me when I say that I can deal with crazy."

"You know those guys?" Seth and Dean were looking at her hopefully.

Alison nodded. "I met Bryan and Aaron through Norman, who I met because we share some friends up in New York. They're sweethearts, though Cranston might be **legit** crazy. He turns the Heisenberg persona on like it's nothing, and can make you feel very, very uncomfortable."

Ronnie weaved her way through the cluster of people to arrive at Alison's side. "We're square. Penthouse suite on the top floor."

Turning to Roman, Alison invited everyone up to her collection of rooms. Most of the assembled group agreed, and everyone crowded into the four elevators so they could get to the top floor, which was only accessible by putting the key card into a special slot. When they reached the top floor, Buffalo unlocked the door and made a brief search of the suite while the others waited in the large living room area.

The suite was actually much more like an apartment. An open floor plan allowed those seated in the living room to see and speak to others sitting at the dining table, which was large enough to seat eighteen, or into the kitchen over the island and barstools. There were four bedrooms off a hallway to the left, and a swimming pool out the door to the right. Everything was decorated in rich creams and browns with accents in deep burgundy.

Dean gazed around the room with wide eyes. "Holy fuckin' shit!"

"Dude!" Roman was used to his mouth, but thought his friend should be a little more soft in front of the women.

"Well, God damn." Alison raised her brows at Ronnie. "Was all of this really fuckin' necessary?"

Roman gave a surprised snort, and Dean punched him playfully in the arm.

Ronnie shrugged helplessly. "The manager insisted! There were no other regular suites, and you know how the guys get if they haven't done recon. Besides. . . There's a kiiiiiiiitcheeeeen."

Alison laughed at Ronnie's singsong. "You know what? You're right. This will work fine."

Ronnie and Irish took off to collect what Alison would need to cook dinner for everyone, stopping by the concierge in order to acquire a bartender for the outside bar by the pool, while Alison ordered everyone to find their bathing suits. As far as she was concerned, it was the perfect night for an impromptu pool party. Roman couldn't agree more, and laughed when Seth and Dean ushered everyone out so they could change and get back quickly.

The rest of the afternoon was spent drinking – margaritas for the women and mixed drinks or beers for most of the men – and having fun in the pool. Alison hooked her iPod up to the dock and had a mix of nearly every type of music imaginable playing. While no one was attempting to get completely trashed, quite a few of them were just a bit tipsy.

The Bellas and AJ put in a few calls to the other girls, and Alison was having fun having more female energy around. Being a girl who plays rock for a living, she toured with a lot of men. It was nice to have someone compliment her vintage black skirted two piece without feeling like they were being creepy.

"Look at you!" AJ smiled and skipped over to Alison. The Ninja Turtles shirt she wore was trimmed off at an angle to reveal the boy shorts that were the bottoms of her suit.

Alison had removed her lace cover-up, and was applying sunscreen to her now exposed skin. She was too fair to go without the protectant. "Thanks!"

The ink inscribed down her right side under a curved, Old English header of "Semper Fidelis" got some attention, and she smiled as she lifted her arm to give the attentive crowd a better look.

"It's the history of my father's family in the Marines. The tattered papers at the top read 'Samuel Nicholas', who was a so-many-greats grandfather of mine and the first Commandant of the Marines. You can trace my family's involvement with the Marines in every American war or conflict right down to my father, who is the dog tag off of which my seven brothers' tags hang."

"Why does that one there have an outline?" Brie pointed to a tag mixed in the bottom group.

"Uh, that's a silencer." Alison swallowed thickly. "We lost Mikey in Iraq. Two years ago."

"Oh," Brie's eyes began to tear. "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay, it's not like you were trying to hurt me. I miss him a lot, but war kills. We all knew that from a very young age."

Roman cleared his throat and tried to break the sudden tension. "What about this one?"

Alison looked down to the red Viking compass on her breastbone. "Vegvisir. It's a Viking compass. It is said that, if one carries it, they will never lose their way in storms or bad weather, even when the way is not known. Then, there are protective runes all around the outside."

Punk pointed at the small bulldog on her ribs just under the band of her top. The helmet he wore was cut to allow his red horns to poke through. "Daddy's Girl" in beautiful script ended in an old school anchor. "Guess we all know what that one's about."

Alison laughed and handed him a new Pepsi to replace the empty bottle in his hand. "I'm gonna go get started on dinner."

Roman followed Alison into the coolness of the suite, enjoying the quiet after the happy ruckus outside. "You okay?"

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine!" She smiled and began trimming the fat off the chicken.

"Sorry about everyone sort of crashing our date."

"Don't be! I hardly ever get a chance to hang out with cool people who just want to have fun while I'm on tour."

Roman took a knife and began trimming along with her. "We found a pretty decent gym here. Want to meet up there in the morning?"

"Just us?"

"Well, us, Dean, and Seth."

"And my boys."

Roman smirked. "We ever going to get some time alone?"

"Well, yeah. But I thought you wanted to get to know me."

"Yeah, I do." Placing his chicken in the huge mixing bowl with hers, he watched as she began coating it lightly with a vinegar and honey mixture. "Hooking up with a girl without getting to know her didn't work out so well for me last time."

Alison stopped mixing the meat around and looked at him over her shoulder where he stood at the sink washing his hands. "Are you calling me a mentally unstable whore?"

"Hell no!" His near shout drew a few glances from the group outside the glass doors. "I just want to make sure we're good for each other is all.'

"So, you want to talk and hang when we can, but you don't want to be my boyfriend."

Roman nodded. "Non-exclusivity seems like a good idea to me right now."

A bit hurt, Alison decided to take some time to think about things later. _Don't get your panties in a bunch, hun. You haven't even kissed the man!_

"Okay, yeah."


	5. What Happened at Raw

**I've decided that this is set just before July, 2013's Money in The Bank PPV.**

A golden Southern dawn drew Alison from her slumber a few moments before her alarm was set to sound. Twisting her hair up into three messy buns in a line down her head since she had too much hair for one, she slipped into a high impact sports bra and a comfortable pair of shorts. Snagging a grey muscle tank with _'I'm not strong for a girl, I'm just strong'_ emblazed on the back, she slipped it over her head and went for a cup of coffee.

Ronnie was sitting at the table, sipping a cup of black coffee and nibbling toast with strawberry jam. "Hey, girl. Some pictures from your get-together yesterday are up on twitter, just so you know."

"Which means they're made it to tumblr and everywhere else by now." Alison shrugged. "No biggie."

"There will be questions." Ronnie singsonged.

Alison snorted. "Like I care?"

"What are you going to tell people?"

"That it's really none of their business, and that I don't discuss my personal life."

Ronnie chuckled. "You're just so evil."

"It's not my fault some people think they should know every facet of someone else's life."

"Yeah, you have a point." Tapping a stack of papers on the table, the other woman smiled. "Want to look over some house stuff while you wake up?"

"Hell yeah," Alison got her own cup of coffee ready with cream and sugar before sliding into a seat across from her assistant and friend.

"So, I have sixteen houses as of right now –"

"**Sixteen?!**"

"Well, it's not like you were really specific!" Ronnie laughed. "These are all houses on the beach. We've got California, Florida, and Texas. Anywhere else isn't warm all year or doesn't have what you're wanting. The ones with blue tabs have pools, and the ones with red tabs have boat docks."

Alison saw that there was only nine with both blue and red tabs. "So, let's start with the ones that have both. If I hate all of them, we'll look at the others."

"Sounds like a plan."

The first two she picked up were both in Malibu with impressive views and three bedrooms each. Their price tags were quite large, and nothing screamed out to her about either one. They were just decent homes in a ritzy neighborhood with a high probability of paparazzi waiting outside her door. Frowning, she set them aside and picked up another stapled packet.

This one was located in Gulf Breeze, Florida. It was painted a light blue and had six large bedrooms. There were a few window seats, one in the bedroom and another in what looked to be a study or library, and a large open floor plan for most of the main rooms. The kitchen was **huge**, with a butcher block island and multiple ovens mounted into the wall. The pool was enclosed in a glass room with a hot tub set to the side and room for chairs or tables. There was a boat house with a lift at the end of the deep water dock.

"I'm half in love with this one already."

Ronnie grinned. "I thought you would like that one. There are two more around the same area that are very nice."

Alison looked through the packets Ronnie presented her for those other houses. They were both large enough. One had a boat dock while the other had a pool. Neither held the appeal of that first home, though. Thinking that they would probably look better in person, she held off any negative comments.

"Maybe we should set up appointments to look at them?"

"Well, we have three days in a row off in a little over a week. It would mean flying down after the Madison Square Garden show and then up to Maine, but we could do it."

Alison nodded. "Yeah, let's do that. I want to get this done."

"Hell, it's only a 4 hour flight from New York City to Pensacola, anyway."

"Pensacola?" Alison was stumped. "Why would we be flying there?"

"It's the closest airport to the houses. They're on a small strip of island just south of the city."

"Oh, that's cool." Alison sipped the last of her coffee and went to get another. "It always looks nice enough whenever we travel there."

"Yeah, and it'll be nice to have a place close to a certain Big Dog once you two get to that level."

While Ronnie giggled conspiratorially, Alison couldn't help but frown as she remembered their conversation from the evening before. "Yeah, I don't know about that."

"Why? What's the idiot done?"

Alison giggled. "How do you know it was something he did?"

"Because he's a man, and I know you're awesome. Therefore, it had to be something idiotic that he did."

Alison sighed as she refreshed Ronnie's black coffee and launched into retelling the conversation they had had. When she was finished, Ronnie was smirking into her mug and shaking her head ruefully. Alison knew when to keep silent around her friend, and so waited while the brunette figured out what she wanted to say.

"Did anyone ever tell you how Benny and I got together?"

"It's always weird to hear you call him anything other than Irish. But, no, not really."

"Well, we were friends in high school, and then started working together at his dad's diner. He eventually asked me out, but then made a big deal out of still seeing other people. Well, I said 'okay', because what else was I going to do?! I wanted the big jerk."

"Anyway," Ronnie smiled at the memory. "He would talk to this girl or that one, and sometimes he'd have a quickie with them in the back room, but he acted like a boyfriend to me most of the time. And I only focused on him, because he's all I wanted, until one night I went out with some of the girls and ended up dancing with another man. Benny showed up at my house as this man was kissing me goodnight, told him to start walking or he wouldn't be able to ever again, and then told me that we weren't seeing anyone else anymore."

Alison raised her brows. "So, what? I should try to make him jealous?"

"Oh, honey, you shouldn't have to **try**!" Ronnie smirked. "You just live your life, do what you want, and see what happens."

"And forget about Roman?"

"No! Not at all! Keep talking to him and building that relationship. Just don't shut yourself off from other men like you would if you were exclusive. If Roman is worth half a crap, he'll pull his head out of his ass and man up before some amazing guy sweeps you off your feet the way you deserve."

"And if he doesn't?"

Ronnie snorted. "Then you still have the other amazing guy! Duh!"

Alison laughed and went to collect the men, who were all interested in hitting the gym with the resident bad boys of the WWE.

O:O:O:O:O:O:

The gym was deserted when they arrived, a sole manager turning on lights and refreshing powdered chalk buckets. Alison breathed in the familiar, welcome smell of sweat and gym mats. Pushing herself to do better in the gym had often filled the lonely hours during her high school years. Not having friends had left her plenty of free time, and she had learned at a very young age that weights were the same, no matter what part of the world they were located in. She enjoyed gymnastics and dancing as well, and knew what her body could handle.

Deciding to stretch before she attempted to do anything else, Alison left the members of her security team to their own devices and moved to the mats. Slowly moving through a simple yoga routine, she transitioned into backbends and bridges. After she was feeling loose, she pulled her old pointe shoes, once a bright pink but now a dull grey, from her bag.

Lightly resting her hand on the edge of a weight rack, Alison began to move through the positions. Once she had gone through positions one through five, she planted her left foot flat on the floor and raised her right leg into a side split, wrapping her right arm around her calf. Switching sides, she did the same. Rising onto her toes, she faced the mirror and ignored the men now staring at her in the reflective surface as she pulled her right leg up behind her so that there was a straight line from her left toes to her right toes and into the ceiling. Breathing through the stretch, she arched her body back to grasp her right calf behind her head. After ten deep breaths, she switched legs and repeated the stretch.

Roman, Seth, and Dean had been obliged to invite the others to the gym they had convinced to open early, because everyone wanted to get a workout in. He had griped about it to Dean and Seth in the privacy of their rental car, but they all knew that they had to make nice with the locker room veterans in order to keep their careers' progression on track. Besides, they were friends with quite a few of the men.

When they reached the large, yet rather nondescript building, the others were close behind. Walking in, they spotted Buffalo and Hawk working the weights while Irish and Marko kept watch over a stretching Alison. She was standing on the toes of one foot in some sort of standing splits, and Roman could not have pried his eyes away.

"Holy fuck…" Dean could always be counted on to be eloquent in such situations.

As Alison moved into some sort of dance that kept her on her toes most of the time, slowly turning and dipping from side to side, her legs flexed prettily. Her ankles seemed impossibly tiny, and her legs surprisingly long as she moved along the open space. She built up speed before leaping into the air, arching her back as her legs came parallel to the floor. Ending on a pirouette, she dipped into a low bow as the now assembled crowd applauded her efforts.

Laughing, Alison blew kisses to the group. "Thank you, thank you!"

"That was somethin', babygirl." Roman wrapped her up in a hug. "Where'd you learn that?"

"There was always a dance studio near any base daddy got transferred to. The teachers would always let me test into a class." Alison shrugged and then turned to the others. "Ya'll ready to do work?"

Seth grinned. "Always ready."

"Anything you want to do?" Dean moved toward the free weights, surveying what they had to work with.

"I'm going to go through Diane, I think."

Roman was surprised and impressed. He had no idea that the tiny redhead was into Crossfit. "So what's your scale?"

Diane was one of "the girls", the benchmark workouts of Crossfit. It called for deadlifts of 225 pounds and headstand pushups. You did 3 rounds of 21, 15, and 9 reps for time. If you couldn't lift that much weight, it was perfectly acceptable and expected that you would scale the weight down to your max rep weight.

Alison grinned, anticipating their reaction. "I don't have to scale it, but I **will **have to break up the rounds."

"Yeah, okay." Roman wanted to believe her, but couldn't quite keep the skepticism from his voice.

Alison ignored his tone and prepped the curved bars that she would use for the pushups. Even her guards, who were her regular workout partners, hadn't thought she would ever be able to lift so much until they saw the way she built up to the prescribed weight. She appreciated that Seth and Dean were already moving around, trying not to make their curiosity obvious. Most of the others had split and moved to different machines and weights, though the few Divas that had bothered to show had moved to the treadmills and were walking or jogging easily.

"So, we still on for lunch after this?" She spoke quietly to Roman as she selected the weights necessary to add to the 35 pound bar.

"Yeah. Finish here and grab a shower first?"

"I'm good with that."

Natalia and AJ walked in with Punk just as Alison pulled on her gym shoes over a pair of knee highs and strapped a pair of lifting gloves over her callused palms. She gave them a friendly nod before grasping the bar and checking that her stance was correct. Schooling her breathing, she straightened her knees and back to bring the heavy weight up off the floor and then moved back to her original position in a controlled manner.

"Jesus!" Dolph Ziggler wasn't even pretending to lift anymore, and grinned openly over at Roman. "That girl's something, man."

AJ was just as impressed, since Alison was nearly as tiny as her. "That. Is. Awesome."

Alison had tuned everything and everyone else out, needing to concentrate on what she was doing. Being small, it was the weight portion of this workout that caused her the most problems, and she split the first 21 reps into three groups of seven, moving between the bar and the headstand pushups in order to let the muscle groups rest. Three controlled gulps of water separated the first round from the second, which she broke up into three groups of five. Another few gulps of water, and she moved on to the final nine, which she again broke up into three groups of three.

While others could have completed the entire workout in less time, Alison was thrilled with her finishing time of forty two minutes and nineteen seconds. She had managed to beat her old best time by nearly one full minute! There were quite a few people clapping when she posted her finished time and how much she had improved onto the white board at the back of the weight area.

Roman had kept an eye on Alison as he went through his own workout, and smiled at her as she began stretching her aching muscles. "That's pretty awesome."

"Thanks," she grinned at him as she switched positions to work on her back. "Don't act like you weren't thinking I couldn't do it."

"You're right. I thought you were too little to lift like that, but I was wrong."

Chuckling, Alison went down into a full splits before planting her elbows on the floor and resting her chin in her hands. "Damn straight you were."

Taking notice of how the other men were overhearing his conversation, Roman's grin stretched wide across his face. "So, where are we meeting for lunch?"

"I figured we could go Japanese. Sushi for you, and real food for me.'

Roman's bark of hearty laughter drew attention from all around the gym. "Sushi _is _real food."

"Whatever," Alison smiled as she rolled her eyes. "Ever eat at Akashi?"

"Definitely not."

"I think you'll like it." Alison watched as Buffalo and Hawk finished their last few reps. "Meet you there at 1:00?"

"Yeah, sounds good."

Waving to everyone, Alison said her goodbyes and left for her room.

After letting the hot water relax her aching muscles, she ran a little mouse through her hair so that her curls would behave and looked over the small amount of clothing she had brought with her. Selecting a brown t-shirt with "Shiny" scrawled in a fading gold script across the front and a jaggedly cut-off hem and neckline, she paired it with leggings in brown and white vertical stripes. Her essentials all went into a leather hip bag that fastened around her waist and upper thigh like a holster. Clunky brown leather boots, a necklace made of working gears, and brass octopus hair clips rounded out the outfit.

Marko and Irish sat at a table not far from the one Alison and Roman occupied, sipping their water and eating in the distracted way of men who were too busy watching the room to focus on their meals. There had been a bit of a commotion when they first arrived, and they had had a bit of fun coming up with things to say during interviews when someone brought up the possibility of them dating. Now seated comfortably in a quiet corner, Alison ate her steak and giggled as she watched Roman put away plate after plate of sushi.

"How can you possibly eat that?"

Roman grinned. "I could eat good sushi every day."

Alison wrinkled her nose. "It just looks so gross."

Distracting himself from just how adorable she looked with her nose all crinkled, Roman selected a small piece of salmon and held it out to her. "Here, try some."

She held up a hand. "Nah, I'm good."

"How do you know you don't like it, if you don't at least give it a shot?"

Alison frowned. "I tried sushi when we lived in Okinawa when I was ten!"

"Then your tastes may have changed. It's been known to happen."

Sighing, Alison reluctantly took the offering and chewed it slowly. "It's not as bad as I remembered, but still not my favorite thing."

"Fair enough."

Alison was quiet for a moment before bringing up their conversation from the night before. "So, how are we supposed to do this?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, how are we together but non-exclusively? How does that work?"

Roman chewed thoughtfully and swallowed before answering. "I want us to really get to know each other, but to take our time."

"And you want to be free to find other girls to sleep with while you're figuring this whole thing out." Alison knew her voice held nothing but understanding, because she **did **understand what he was saying. "I just don't want you thinking that this arrangement only works one way. I may not be one for one night stands, but it has been known to happen from time to time."

"Okay," Roman wanted to growl at the thought of another man touching her porcelain skin, but managed to control himself. "I'll keep that in mind."

"So, we talk and get to know each other. If we want to have sex with someone, then we're both free to do so." Alison looked him in the eyes. "That sound about right?"

"Yeah, that's about it."

"Well, if you ever decide you want to acknowledge that sound I just heard in your voice and make this officially exclusive, you let me know."

O:O:O:O:O:O:

Raw was well underway, and Alison had enjoyed the show immensely. Buffalo and Marko drew some wide-eyed looks while Irish and Hawk could have taken half of the arena home with them if they chose. The four men were focused entirely on doing their job of protecting Alison, however, and gave no notice of any attention they were garnering.

The group had been given the traditional seats at ringside, so Alison and Ronnie had fun booing and shouting down the Shield and any of its members. Dean made a show of puckering his lips at her and giving her an open mouthed, wide smile that showed off his dimples. Alison simply looked disgusted. Seth and Roman both ignored her presence, being fully in character, and climbed into the ring. The Usos and Christian arrived for the match, all three making sure to come over for a hug and mouthing at the men already in the ring.

The action started fairly enough with Christian and Dean exchanging blows in the ring, but quickly escalated when Seth jumped in and tossed the blonde into the ropes. Dean went for a clothesline, but was thrown over the top rope for his trouble. Seth soon followed, and Roman went to check on his teammates. The Shield's usual numbers-game strategy was then thwarted with a pair of suicide dives from the twins and a frog splash from Christian that left the three champs stewing outside the ring.

The Shield regained steam to even the playing field, but the match turned into a mass of chaos when all six competitors swarmed the ring at once. While Roman hauled the Usos over the ropes with a pair of clotheslines, Christian knocked Seth Rollins off the ropes and onto the floor on the outside before he went to strike Dean with the Killswitch. Rollins drug himself up off the floor and slid under the bottom rope, hitting Christian with a mean looking right hook, which allowed Dean to roll the other man up for a three count.

Alison waited until the show was over, and then was escorted backstage. Marko had gotten the call to let them know that the tour buses had arrived at the rental place so they could return their SUVs and get back on the road. When Dean, still sweaty from their bout, caught sight of her, he let out a happy whoop and wrapped her up in a hug that took her off the floor and began dancing her around and humming an impromptu waltz.

"Hey, Dean." Alison thought he was probably a little insane, but that he was also fun. "Feeling okay?"

"I feel great!" Placing her back on her feet and giving an exaggerated pout, he bent at the waist so he could look her in the face and cocked his head to the side. "Do you **have **to leave? It's fun having you around!"

Alison nodded calmly and held his cheeks in her palms before pressing a chaste kiss to his forehead. "Yep. I've got a tour to get back to."

Dean went to go find Roman for her, and AJ bounced up soon after, exchanging numbers with the redhead and promising to text her far too much. Brie and Nikki Bella were next, with both women giving their numbers and asking if she knew when they would see her again. Alison was thrilled to be making some female friends, and told them that she would see what she could do.

"I heard you kissed Dean," Roman's arms wrapped around her from behind.

Alison shrugged. "Well, the man **did **dance with me."

Leading her back to their locker room, Roman pretended not to notice when she waved her guards to wait outside when he held the door for her. Letting the door swing shut behind him, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and brought her up against his chest. Her slight smile had his own lips twitching until he ducked down and put his mouth to hers.

Alison went up onto her toes, her arms slipping around his neck, as she nibbled at his full lower lip. When Roman's chest rumbled happily, she opened her mouth a bit further and let his tongue slide inside. Electric tingles danced down her spine, at once relaxing and inciting Alison until she nearly whimpered. Sinking her fingers into his long hair, she moaned as he copied her movements before backing her against the wall, caging her there with muscle and bone.

Allowing her to breathe, he nibbled the spot just below her ear, reveling in her sigh of pleasure. "I like the way you sound, babygirl."

"I like when you call me babygirl."

The two met eyes and chuckled softly before sinking into another kiss.

When Alison walked out the door to meet her security team ten minutes later, she was sporting a light hickey and a smile.


	6. Closer

**Fair warning: The end of this chapter earns the 'M' rating.**

While Alison spent the next two weeks playing concerts for tens of thousands of fans nearly every night, having just two days off to rest, Roman and the guys only had a few days of work. They participated in one pay per view, two episodes of Raw, had one Smackdown taping, and put in an appearance at a few house shows. Having four days off in a row, and being tired of having to fly all the way back to Vegas every week, Dean decided to join Roman in Pensacola in order to find an apartment closer to his friend's.

A mutual friend's birthday had them going to a club to celebrate late into Friday night. Dean was in his element, drinking and dancing with nearly every woman in attendance and entertaining anyone around him with his antics. Roman danced with some friends along with Dean, and then began branching off to dance with women they didn't know. He felt a familiar itch that he felt the need to have scratched.

A tall young woman with bright blonde highlights in her short brown hair caught his attention, her brown eyes undressing him from yards away, and he grasped her waist as she came to rub up against him. Her black dress was made of some sort of slinky material that stretched and twisted with the twisting movement of her slim hips. She twirled slowly in his arms and easily wrapped hers around his neck, aided by the shoes she wore, their clear platforms and heels making her seem very tall indeed.

"I'm Candi." She giggled through her introduction. "Because I'm so sweet."

Roman chuckled and then smirked as he looked down at her exposed cleavage. "Oh, I'm sure you are."

Bringing her closer, he pressed his lips to hers. She tasted of alcohol, and her kiss was nearly absurdly eager. Leading her to a table, he pulled her into his lap and brought her mouth down to his again. He was sliding his hand over her exposed thigh when he sensed someone standing very close.

"Hi, whore!" Dean said brightly, his face very close to his own when Roman pulled away from Candi and looked up.

"Dean, man, don't call her that! Not cool!"

Dean snorted and gave his now famous smirk. "Good thing I was talkin' to you, then, ain't it?"

"What the fuck, Dean?"

Pointing a finger at Roman's face, Dean growled. "Fuck this shit, and fuck you."

Shaking his head, Dean snagged his leather jacket from his seat. "I'm out."

"Dean!" Roman shouted after him and then cursed dangerously when he didn't even turn around.

Depositing the girl on his lap back on her feet, Roman quickly followed his friend out onto the sidewalk. Spotting Dean's aggressive stride, Roman jogged to catch up.

"Dude, what the fuck?"

Dean lit a cigarette and scowled. "You've got a great fuckin' girl who wants to be with you! What the **hell** are you doing hanging all over some stupid slut in a bar?"

They fell silent as they continued in the direction of Roman's apartment. The night was alive with the electric vibrancy of a thousand people coming together to dance and to live. Roman watched as a group of women crossed the street at the corner ahead of them, the bar on the opposite side promising margaritas and simple appetizers meant to be shared with friends.

"I just don't know about Alison."

Dean snorted. "What's not to know? She's a great girl who wants to waste her time on **you** of all people. In my experience, if a girl worth a damn wants to spend her time on a man, and that man is too stupid to figure out that he's being an asshat, then the girl will find a man who knows what the fuck he wants."

"So calling me a whore was all to …what? Get me away from some girl that isn't Alison?"

"Worked, didn't it?"

Roman laughed at Dean's self-satisfied grin. "Yeah. Yeah, it did."

"Look, just don't wait too long, or you're gonna miss your chance."

O:O:O:O:O:O:

MEANWHILE:

Already being in New York City for a pair of shows, Alison took one of her evenings off and went to the east coast premiere of _The Lone Ranger_. Roman had spoken with her earlier in the day, as he did every day, and chuckled at her choice of evening activities.

"You sure you're gonna be okay going to a kids' movie alone?"

Alison laughed. "I'll be fine. I've been going to the movies alone for a long time, and premieres are different."

"You go to the movies alone?"

"Yeah, all the time. Growing up, it just became easier to hit the theater by myself, because I didn't know many kids off base most of the time, and those on base had other things to do. Most bases have a theater of some sort. Once I turned thirteen, mom started letting me go to theaters off base, as long as the neighborhoods were alright."

"Did they get better movies off base than on?"

"Not better, but different choices and better candy. Once I got over the whole standing thing, I was good."

Roman frowned. "What standing thing?"

Alison laughed. "On base, they play the national anthem before movies."

"That is . . . weird."

She had only laughed and asked him how Dean was doing.

Roman and Seth had defeated the Usos at Money in The Bank while Dean had failed to climb the ladder to retrieve the contract at the top. They were all still champions, and Alison had been very proud as she watched the replay of the pay per view after she finished her concert.

While Seth was very forthcoming with Alison, telling her about his girlfriend, life on the road, and the bumps and bruises from working in the ring, Dean was another story all together. She had seen his type of behavior before, the twitching and inability to stand still coupled with erratic behavior and hyperawareness, and knew PTSD when she saw it. That man had been through something bad, had self-medicated in order to cope, and was now dealing with the aftermath. Because of his inability to **really **talk, Roman was used to answering questions about his friend and adopted brother.

Being reassured that all was well with her new friends, Alison told him to have fun at his friend's party and hung up to welcome Micki – the young woman who was in charge of her hair while on tour – into the room. She would be going with a rockabilly look for the premiere that evening, and wanted hair to match the black checked halter dress. The black heels she had picked out were embellished with red bows and soles, and her lipstick nearly matched. The rest of her makeup was understated except for thick, black eyeliner done in a cat eye style.

When Micki was finished. Alison had Ronnie snap a picture. Uploading it to twitter, she captioned it with: _Looking #fabu for the #LoneRanger premiere! Been working hard, and now it's time for some fun!_

A few minutes later, a tweet from AJ buzzed through: _So AliRally is looking way too cute. #50sCool _

The Bella twins soon echoed AJ's sentiments: _OMG! AliRally looks so awesome tonight!_

Perez Hilton soon added his two cents: _Miss AliRally is looking Ah-MAZE-ing! Wonder if a certain WWE Superstar is the jealous type?_

Alison smirked at her friend's attempt to stir the pot. That boy was going to get himself in trouble if he wasn't careful. She had talked with him about her relationship with Roman (though Perez insisted on calling it a "sort of" relationship) because sometimes a girl just needs her best gay boy. Contrary to popular belief, the celebrity blogger was absolutely perfect at keeping secrets when he needed to, and Alison loved having his insights.

Rechecking her makeup, she collected Hawk and Irish from the living room and traveled down in the elevator to the hotel lobby. A few photos were snapped of her by some tourists, for which she was happy to pose, before she was able to slide into the town car that sat waiting for her. Looking out her window, she appreciated the lights and constant movement of New York City speeding around her.

Thousands of camera flashes exploded the moment the attendant opened her door. She made sure her legs were firmly together as she swung them out the door and planted her heels on the sidewalk. She didn't need the attention enough to flash her blue silk panties to the world. Besides, her mother would **not **be impressed. Accepting Hawk's hand, she allowed him to assist her out of the vehicle and then paused to wave and smile at the assembled crowd of fans and photographers. Turning one way and then another, she posed for pictures.

"Alison! Alison!" One man with four cameras hanging around his neck shouted. "To your right! . . . Thank you!"

"Alison! Can we see that gorgeous smile, please?"

Pleased, she broke into a huge grin. The cameras went wild once again, and she turned so that they could get a few shots of her back, left naked by her dress and her hair being thrown over her left shoulder. She looked over her right shoulder to give them the now classic pose.

"Miss Hedland!"

A familiar voice drew her attention, and Alison smiled brightly as she held out her arms. "Mr. Depp!"

The two pressed kisses to cheeks as they hugged lightly, and the cameras once again went wild. Turning, she was introduced to Armie Hammer, whose light blue eyes shone with happiness. A few more greetings, and she was inside being seated.

O:O:O:O:O:

Roman and Dean had stopped for a pizza on their way home, a rare indulgence to end a night of drinking, and sat down to watch some SportsCenter. As the commercials were airing, Roman looked through his twitter feed from earlier in the evening, nearly dropping his phone. There, in glorious color, was Alison, looking for all the world like a 1950s bad girl pinup.

He looked over her picture a few times before he noticed that her name was trending.

_Alison Hedland is just beautiful! _

_NE1 know if Alison Hedland is dating that Reigns guy from WWE?_

Perez's tweet about her caught his attention._ Johnny Depp + AliRally would make amazing babies!_

Roman growled at the last tweet and began scrolling through the pictures of the premiere that it linked. There was a group of photos of Alison demurely stepping out of her car and posing on the red carpet. There were a few of her smiling widely, the dimple in her right cheek showing happily. The pictures that followed were all of her hugging Johnny Depp and some other guy.

"Damn," Dean's voice was close to his ear as he looked over the pictures. "That woman is just plain fuckin' beautiful."

Roman nodded, but felt his mouth twitching into a sneer. "That's **my **woman, man."

Dean snorted. "Yeah, because you've really been acting like it.'

"Dean, man, you need to drop it."

"Oh, I'll drop it. For now." The other man shrugged. "Just don't start bitching when some little asshole starts pushing up on her."

Roman frowned at Dean's retreating back as he went to the kitchen for another beer. Had he made a mistake by wanting to remain free to mess around with other women? Why couldn't Alison just stay at the hotel and not be around men when he wasn't around to go with her? He knew he was being unfair and ridiculous, but he also knew what he wanted.

Holding his phone up, he let his hair rest over his shoulders and took a picture. Posting it to twitter, he quickly typed a caption.

_This hound is missing something only found in NYC right now. #Alicat_

A moment later, his phone began ringing. Grinning, he accepted the call.

"Hey, babygirl." He smiled and stepped over into the bedroom, knowing Dean would make himself comfortable on the couch.

"Hey, big man." Alison's voice was a sort of sleepy sigh. "You doing okay?"

Roman suddenly longed for the ability to climb through the phone and wrap his arms around her warm, sleepy body. "I'm okay. What are you doing still awake? Just getting in?"

"No," Alison yawned and walked from her room to the small kitchenette to put on water for tea. "Not sleeping very well tonight, and was just putting on some tea."

"Oh, man, that sucks."

"Yeah, it does, but I'm sort of used to it. Being on the road always messes with me."

"Huh… Maybe you should have stayed in tonight so you could rest."

Alison snorted. "Don't try sounding like you're concerned, when you're really just being controlling. I'm not going to stay inside all the time just because we're seeing each other."

"Why not?"

"Ro, are you **pouting**?!"

"Don't call me that. And, no, I'm not pouting."

Alison sighed. "Well, what would you like me to do?"

"Stay away from all other men unless I'm with you?"

"Really, Roman?" Alison's hand shook as she poured hot water over a teabag in a lovely china cup. "Are you telling me that what's good for you isn't for me? Because I thought it was **you **who came up our non-exclusivity clause."

"It was, but –"

"No. No 'but's. If you want me to be absolutely faithful, then you need to be as well."

Roman sighed. "Yeah. Yeah, I know."

The line was silent for a moment before Alison remembered about the houses she was supposed to look at in a few days. "Hey, what do you know about Gulf Breeze?"

The question threw him off for a moment, and then he chuckled. "It's a beautiful little town on a strip of island. Mostly beach houses and a few stores and restaurants. Why?"

"I'm going to be looking at houses there in a few days."

That got his attention, and he grinned widely. "Yeah?"

"Yup. The Colonel got transferred out to Camp Pendleton, and my mom was asking about me finding a place of my own so they don't have all my boxed shit to deal with."

"And you chose Florida because . . . ?"

"It's warm most of the year, and there are less paparazzi than there are in Malibu."

He snorted. "But there are hurricanes."

"California has earthquakes, wildfires, **and **mudslides." Alison countered.

"So, Florida it is!"

Alison laughed and sipped her tea. "I'm supposed to be looking at houses on Tuesday."

"So we'll just miss each other."

His disappointment was so tangible that Alison's heart trembled. "Well, I'm going to be in Pensacola from Tuesday morning until Friday morning."

Roman bolted upright in bed. "I'm not working Smackdown, so I'll be home sometime Tuesday afternoon."

"Want to meet up for dinner?" Alison's smile was clearly audible.

"Yeah." He chuckled. "I feel like I'm fuckin' sixteen. Waiting to take my girl out on Saturday night."

"Is that what I am? You're girl?"

Roman was quiet for a moment. "Do you **want **to be my girl?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I think I do. But not until I'm your **only **girl."

They said their goodnights a few minutes later, and both went to sleep soon after with smiles on their faces.

O:O:O:O:O:O:

Alison flew into Pensacola on the wings of a pink dawn. Having finished her show at Madison Square Garden the night before, she showered and changed into comfortable clothes for the flight. The plane ride from NYC to her possible new home was less than five hours, but she knew that it could take a while to taxi in and out of runways. After climbing aboard the private jet, Alison curled up in the queen sized bed and promptly went to sleep.

Ronnie gently shook her awake as the pilot was waiting for the go-ahead to taxi the plane across the maze of tarmac and into the private terminal. "C'mon, honey. We'll go get checked into the hotel and then find us some breakfast."

Yawning, Alison agreed. "Yeah, okay."

Alison had paid for a suite for herself as well as one for Ronnie and the boys. She wanted a little privacy for once. Ronnie had winked when Alison made the request, but had kept her opinions to herself.

The hotel was quickly handled and breakfast eaten so that they were able to meet the first of the three real estate agents they would see that day. He was a tall man in a well-tailored suit his eyes were a pleasant shade of deep blue and his smile as lovely as any snake's. Alison disliked him instantly, and she had to ignore him completely in order to look over the house without bias.

She and Ronnie made quiet plans to change every lock and electronic code in the house if she chose this house.

It was a two story home with fireplaces and a large fence and gate made entirely of twisted iron. The fountain in front featured cherubs and dolphins, making Alison wrinkle her nose and Ronnie roll her eyes. The floors were carpeted, which made little sense considering the proximity to the beach and all the fine white sand, and the kitchen was impossibly small with no pantry and little counter space.

Shaking her head, she refused to even look at the rest of the house. If the current owners were so dense as to insist on carpet on nearly every floor (including a questionable pink in the bathroom off the living room) and a tiny kitchen for such a large house, then she didn't even want to imagine the bedrooms.

The second agent was a woman with pencil straight blonde hair and even straighter posture. She welcomed them warmly and began leading them through the rooms. While most of the floors were wood, there were a few areas of carpet. The kitchen was large with a lovely granite countertop and a nice pantry. The pool just outside the back door was small and surrounded by a white deck. While it was very nice, Alison wasn't sure that she loved it, and wanted to see the third house before she made a decision.

They passed the gates to house number three a few minutes after noon, the agent having helpfully left the gate open so there was no need to wait to be buzzed through. The fence was tall and solid cement with a gate of dark wood. The gravel driveway led to a three car garage and then around to steps leading up to a wide, covered front porch and the light blue house. The agent waiting at the door was a well-built woman with smiling hazel eyes who introduced herself as Megan.

From the double front doors, Alison could see past the stairs and into the large family room straight ahead, its fireplace prominent. There was a coat closet and a set of French doors to a library to the right and a formal dining room to her left which led into the kitchen and breakfast nook beyond. Both the library and the dining rooms also contained fireplaces. The kitchen and family rooms were separated by a long island. There was a large pantry and pot filler faucet beside the stove, though said stove left much to be desired, and the refrigerator looked like it had seen better days. The floors were all either bamboo or a type of stone that the agent explained was called travertine, so that sand could easily be cleared away. A laundry and mud room was off the kitchen.

Outside, there was a large pool enclosed in a glass room that extended from a traditional covered porch wide enough to house a few tables and chairs. Another porch was accessible through doors both off the breakfast nook and the pool room, leading to a covered outdoor living space with couches, a grill area, and a wood fired pizza oven.

The upstairs held five bedrooms and one master suite. Alison liked that they all had walk-in closets and either shared or private bathrooms. Large windows let in the Florida sun, though there were heavy shutters built in that would swing over the window casements. The smallest bedroom, situated at the top of the stairs, had a door that led into the master suite, making it perfect for either a nursery or a private study.

The master suite was simply stunning. It had a sitting area with a fireplace and a door to a private balcony. His and hers walk-in closets sat at the back of the bathroom, which contained both a large soaking tub with a traditional overhead shower and an enclosed steam shower that would be perfect after a long day of hard work.

"When was the inspection done?" Alison spoke as she met back up with the real estate agent and Ronnie in the kitchen, where they were sipping coffee out of a thermos and sharing a plate of cookies.

"We had a second inspection done last week when you called to make the appointment to see the house. Everything is above code regulations."

Ronnie grinned. "So… What do you think?"

"I'm going to want a new stove, maybe a rotisserie as well. We'll have to see about maybe a convection oven?" Alison shook her head. "I also want shutters like upstairs down here."

Megan grinned in response. "Does that mean you would like to make an offer?"

"What was the asking price again?"

Sliding some papers out of her briefcase, Megan handed them over. "$1,063,000."

"And why are they selling?"

Megan smiled softly. "Empty nesters. The kids are out on their own, and they just don't need this kind of room anymore."

Alison nodded and grinned. "I'll take it."

"Oh, good. I was hoping you would make an offer."

"Not making an offer. I'll give them what they're asking, but they take on all closing costs."

"Oh! Well," Megan was obviously thrown off by that. "I'll get the ball rolling, then!"

It took an hour to go over and sign all the paperwork and Megan had to make some phone calls in order to make everything good and legal.

When Alison arrived back at her hotel, she sent a text to Roman, asking when he would be arriving in town.

Her phone rang soon after, and she smiled when his picture flashed onto her screen. "Hey, you."

"Hey babygirl." Roman couldn't help but chuckle at her excited greeting. "I take it things are going well?"

"I bought a house!"

Now, he laughed out loud. "That's awesome! Can't wait to see it."

"We're hoping that we'll have everything settled by tomorrow afternoon, since I'm paying the asking price. So, where are you right now?"

"Just getting into my car." Roman shoved his bags into the trunk and climbed into the driver's seat.

"Come to my hotel," Alison giggled. "We'll get dinner and watch a movie."

Roman agreed and was knocking on her door forty five minutes later. Alison answered wearing a billowing dress in silky, dove grey chiffon. Her hair was loose and wild, draping over one shoulder while the other was left completely bare where the dress had slipped down her arm. The two stared at each other for a still moment until Roman reached out and lightly traced a smattering of light freckles along her exposed collarbone.

Her soft gasp and the way her head tilted a bit to give him better access drew him in more surely than a bee to honey, and his lips nipped over the fine bone. His tongue soothed the reddened area as one large hand dropped to her thigh and traced up the skin there. Alison whimpered and wrapped her arms around him as he grasped her thighs and picked her up. Kicking the door shut, he turned and pressed her against it, wedging his thigh between hers to pin her there.

"Tell me to stop." Roman growled low in her ear as his hands trailed over her satin thighs. "Say 'stop' and we'll have dinner and watch a movie and I'll go home. But if you don't, I'm going to take you into that bedroom, and we're going to get naked, and I'm going to be on you and in you."

"Oh, Roman," Alison gave a breathy moan as she undulated against his denim clad leg. "Oh God, _please_ don't stop."

With a low moan, he dragged his hands up her body, her dress moving with them. Her panties were pale green silk and lace, and he couldn't contain his moan when he found out her strapless bra matched. Wrapping one hand around her neck, he tilted her chin up with his thumb and slid his tongue between her lips in a slow, drugging kiss.

His other hand began to guide the movements of her hips as he angled his thigh to hit just the right spot. Once she picked up the rhythm he desired, Roman moved his hand from her hip to her stomach. Slipping his thumb beneath the fabric of her panties, he used his thumb to give her a little added stimulation.

Alison's world consisted of the solid door behind her and the wall of man in front. She began moaning and whimpering into his mouth, her hips twitching more and more quickly. Her nails sunk into his un-tattooed arm, her other hand twining in his dark curls. When he pulled his mouth from hers, she managed to force her eyes open.

"That's it, Ali. You fuckin' **look **at me when you get off."

Alison gave a shout of pleasure as she spasmed against his hand and thigh, and Roman's chest rumbled with his satisfaction.

Allowing her to pull his shirt over his head, he rid her of her bra and began licking and sucking at her nipples as he wrapped her legs around his waist and stepped away from the door. Turning, he made his way toward the bedroom. Once he put her down beside the bed, Alison rid him of his belt, and he quickly shed his pants and boxers.

She could feel the way his hands at first tugged at her panties before he visibly forced himself to calm down and move slowly. "Roman?"

"Yeah, sweet girl?"

Alison smiled at his use of so many pet names. "You don't have to go slow. I'm not gonna break."

His hands paused in their ascent up her legs after she stepped out of the scrap of cloth. "What?"

"We're got _days_. We'll go slow some other time."

Their eyes connected for a brief moment before he tackled her down onto the bed. Holding her wrists in one hand, he pinned them above her head as he feasted on the flesh of her neck and breasts. His other hand slid past the neat thatch of red curls below her navel to feel how her juices were already wetting her thighs.

"Are. . . Are you clean?" Alison panted through the pleasure that was already building deep inside.

"Yeah. You?"

Alison shuddered. "Uh – huh."

Roman slid first one and then two fingers deep within her, trying to stretch her tiny body. The last thing he wanted to do was really hurt her. "Birth control?"

"Implant's good for another year." When Roman curled his fingers, hitting **just **the right spot, Alison's upper body came off the bed with a shriek. "Oh, God! _Please, Roman_!"

Hearing his name pour from her lips and the way she begged snapped something deep within Roman. Pulling away from her, he flipped Alison over and yanked her up onto her knees. He was working his way into her tight body before she could plant her hands on the mattress, and so she remained with her chest on the pillows as he moved into her inch by glorious inch. She was gasping and wriggling delightfully against him as she took him to the hilt, and he fisted a hand in her hair. As he brought her up off the bed, plunging into her again and again, she wrapped a small hand around the forearm he had wrapped around her waist. The nails of her other hand sank into the skin of his lower back.

She was screaming and coming undone around him again and again until he couldn't contain himself anymore. When she started begging him to finish inside her, to let her feel his pulsing release, Roman saw stars. Losing his rhythm, he emptied himself into her quivering body, twisting so that he didn't crush her as they collapsed onto the bed.


	7. Going Public?

**Special thanks:**

**Butterflydance21 and Ctinaisfashion - Always great to have you two to talk to about different elements in this and to have sounding boards when I need them.**

** - Thank you for the continued reviews**

**NESSAANCALIME6913 - Welcome aboard!**

**angelsdee327 - Your reviews are always insightful and make me smile. Thank you for reading.**

Roman was staring at Alison as if a tiny little chicken was sprouting from her forehead.

"Baseball?" His eyebrows quirked in confusion and his voice grew higher until he nearly squeaked. "Really?"

Alison giggled at his expression, thinking it was the cutest thing she had seen in a while. "What? I like baseball! And I hear they have a really nice park here."

Alison paused. "I mean, we don't **have **to go, if you don't want. We can stay in the rest of the evening and hang out."

Roman blinked quickly a few times and then shook his head slightly with a wide grin. "I cannot believe I'm dating a baseball fan."

"I like a lot of sports, baby. Football and hockey are my fall and winter sports, but they aren't being played right now, are they?"

"Hockey?"

Alison giggled. "Tough guys hitting each other? Disk of frozen rubber moving at ninety miles an hour? Awesome personalities? What's **not **to love?!"

Roman couldn't seem to stop smiling. "I'm not too big on hockey. Who's your football team?"

"Generally, I root 49ers because we were stationed in California when I started watching football with my brothers." Alison shrugged. "It just sort of stuck."

Roman chuckled and continued to comb his hair as he watched Alison run her fingers through her drying curls. "Well, you finish getting dressed and I'll make some phone calls."

Alison paused and looked up at him. "Really?!"

"I promised you a date, didn't I?" He shrugged. "It's about time I follow through on that, isn't it?"

Squealing, Alison kissed him deeply and then bounced over to the wardrobe to find something fitting for an evening baseball game while Roman went into the other room to call. A simple white tank top paired with some tattered jeans and boots was just the ticket. There was no point it going overboard on a casual evening. Raking her hair into a ponytail, she decided that she'd have to buy a team hat while she was there.

Roman managed to speak with the stadium manager and get them a box seat, though the man hinted heavily that he would like Alison to sing the anthem that evening. Telling him that he couldn't make that decision for her, he made plans to meet at 6:00 for the 6:30 start time. When he looked up from the phone, Alison was stepping out of the bedroom dressed for a casual date, and he loved that she wasn't going to try to pull off some tiny skirt and heels. He hated when girls tried to wear something skimpy to a game and ended up complaining about being uncomfortable the whole time.

"We need to leave soon. Have to meet the stadium manager in less than an hour. Just so you know, he wants you to sing the anthem, but I told him I couldn't say yes or no to that."

Calling Marko and Buffalo, she let them know to meet them in the lobby, and they were at the stadium forty minutes later.

The Pensacola Bayfront Stadium was situated on a beautiful square of land adjacent to the water. Boats could be seen happily bobbing on the bay just beyond left field. The pre-game crowd was filing through the turnstiles and Alison smiled as she smelled the familiar scents of hotdogs and freshly cut grass. There were just some things that couldn't be replicated.

"Is that Alison Hedland?" A teenage boy asked his friend as they walked by, and Alison turned to smile at him with a wink. "Holy shit, dude!"

The speaker's friend began smacking his shoulder, staring at Roman the whole time. "Dudedudedude! It's Roman Reigns!"

"Mister Reigns! Miss Hedland!" The booming voice interrupting the boys belonged to a tall man, his smile infectious as he approached them with a security guard. "My name is David Markson, and I am the manager here. So glad you chose to spend your evening with us!"

Alison let Roman shake the man's hand first, since he was approached before she was, and then grasped it firmly herself. "I hear you have a lovely park, and just had to see it myself."

"Voted one of the most beautiful in the minor leagues! Now, if you would just follow us, we'll get you all set up in the box seating area."

Alison slipped her hand through Roman's arm to rest in the crook of his elbow as they moved through a side door and up several flights of stairs. "Now, did you still want me to sing the anthem before the game?"

David paused just outside the opening that led down into the private box. "That would be great, if you wouldn't mind."

"No, I don't mind at all!" Alison grinned broadly. "I'm so excited!"

Roman chuckled. "I had no clue you liked ball **this** much."

"If you were a kid living on base overseas, you could **always **find a pickup game." Alison shrugged. "My mom used to bring lemonade and cookies if we were playing close."

"All the best moms do." David nodded understandingly. "Well, how about we get you a hat and a jersey?"

Alison agreed and pressed a kiss to Roman's cheek as they left him with the security guard and traveled down to the field. Choosing a deep blue hat that featured a "P" styled out of a fishing hook and line, she slipped it on and pulled her hair through the hole in the back. She pushed her arms into a white uniform shirt, leaving it unbuttoned as she began doing a few exercises to warm up her voice.

David took the microphone out to the pitcher's mound and welcomed everyone to the park. "As a special treat this evening, we have a surprise guest singer! Everyone, please join me in welcoming recording artist and baseball fan Alison Hedland!"

The crowd was going wild as Alison strode out to meet him, and she held her hat in the air as the age-old salute to the fans.

"Miss Hedland will be singing our National Anthem, if everyone would please stand and remove your hats."

"Hello, Pensacola fans!" Alison grinned widely. "If you all behave during the anthem, I promise to give a five second pose for those with the benefits of flash photography when I'm done."

She giggled, took a few calming breaths, and began to sing. "Oh, say can you see…"

Singing the anthem made her unexpectedly homesick, and she promised herself she'd call her mother the next morning. She posed for some pictures and then shook hands with the coaches of both teams before following David back to her date.

Roman drew her in for a soft kiss before helping her to her seat. "So, you're trending on twitter right now."

Alison frowned. "Were you on your phone while I was singing?"

"Relax, I only checked after you finished." Roman chuckled. "If the game wasn't sold out before, it will be soon."

"Well, then, I'm happy I could help them out with that." Alison grinned up at him. "I must've worked up an appetite with you earlier, because I'm starving! Want to get some nachos with our dogs and beer?"

"I usually try to eat better than hot dogs and nachos." Roman gave a wide grin at her slight pout. "Oh hell, why not?"

The game went really well, and Alison cheered the home team like it was her job. She and Roman had to wait for a while before the crowd cleared out enough for them to make a clean getaway. Roman spent the time playing with her red curls and chuckling at the tweets she read aloud from her phone.

_OMG! AliRally just did a five second pose! Freaking AWESOME!_

Alison laughed at that one. "Ha! I **knew **someone would get it. Edge heads and Peeps are forever!"

_So Roman Reigns and Alison Hedland are at the Pensacola Wahoos game!_

_Alison Hedland eats nachos after singing the anthem! #SpiritAnimal_

"Hehehe, I'm going to favorite that one." Alison pressed the appropriate button on her touchscreen. "Me and that girl are friends. She doesn't know it, but we are."

Alison grinned and showed Roman the picture that accompanied some of the tweets. There were a lot of Alison doing her poses after singing, and a few of her speaking with the coaches. The most retweeted photos, however, showed her and Roman sharing the kiss before she sat down.

"Oh, busted!" Alison laughed and showed him the picture. "Think your fans are going to crucify me?"

Shaking his head, Roman grasped her hand and began leading her down the stairs. "Nah, I think you'll be okay."

Saying goodnight to David, Alison watched as Roman posed for a few photos with the other man's young son. He really was very good with children, making them feel comfortable even around his hulking body. She didn't even try to fight the soft smile that tugged at her lips, and pressed a kiss to his shoulder when he was finished.

"What was that for?"

Alison simply laid her head against his arm after they climbed into the backseat of the car. "For being so sweet."

Roman's smile was wide and sweet, and Alison thought he may have been blushing.

"So, it looks like denying shit isn't going to work anymore." Roman cleared his throat. "What are we going to tell people about us?"

"How about we just say that we're taking things slow for now and getting to know each other?"

"Yeah," Roman nodded. "That sounds just about right."

Alison sighed and snuggled into the seat. "This is nice. I could get used to this."

Roman simply squeezed her thigh gently. _Me too_, he thought to himself.

He was beginning to think that he was being ridiculous with this desire to keep himself distant from the tiny woman next to him. She was sweet, kind, understanding, and even knew how to calm Dean when he was manic. They were obviously compatible physically, as had been proven earlier in the day, and he was beginning to think that he couldn't sleep without hearing her voice.

The next two days were full of laughter and fun as Alison was able to get the house keys from Megan and show Roman what she had chosen. He was impressed with the house, and was half in love with the steam shower without ever actually being in it. They had spent some time going through the rooms with Alison discussing what plans she had for different areas and him offering his advice for television sizes and surround sound systems. He even had ideas about where to add a large gym when she asked his opinion.

"I was thinking about putting it on the other side of the pool area, out a second door, but it just seems like it would make the house completely unbalanced." Alison frowned. "But I don't want to convert any of the rooms in the house, because they just aren't big enough."

"What about if you add it off the mudroom area?" Roman asked as they drove back to his apartment in the city. "That way, it'll mirror the size and shape of the pool room."

"I like it!" Alison nodded. "We'll have to call around and get someone out to get that handled after the tour."

"It's going to be nice to be able to hang out without your guys with you all the time."

Roman had enjoyed being able to spend an afternoon without the constant presence of someone else. Marko and Irish hadn't protested when Alison informed them that they would be going from the hotel to her new house and then back to his place. Alison had explained that she wasn't under constant threat, and that Roman was enough of a deterrent for anyone who might randomly appear.

"Have you figured out who will be coming on once Marko leaves?" Roman wasn't sure how those decisions were made.

Alison shook her head. "He won't be leaving until the end of tour, and I won't really need anyone for day to day life. Ronnie and Irish have already found a place to live here, and I know Hawk and Buffalo will be getting an apartment as well.

"Non-tour security is sort of freelance. If I travel or have to go somewhere with lots of people, I'll give them a call and see who wants to earn that money."

Parking, Roman smirked at her. "What about when I'm with you? You gonna need security then?"

"Nah, baby," unbuckling her seatbelt, Alison moved over to kiss him deeply. "You're big and scary enough to keep me safe."

"Damn straight." His growl made her giggle, and Roman couldn't get her inside fast enough.

O:O:O:O:O:

After they took possession of the keys to her new home, Alison had put Ronnie in charge of making sure the locks were changed, that the new stove and cabinets were delivered, and the shutters were fastened beside the window casements downstairs while she continued her tour. Irish wasn't too happy with being separated from his wife, but found himself busy training with Marko. He had been chosen to take over the lead, and therefore had some safety and escape strategies to go over and learn. Alison went along with whatever Marko asked her to do in order to help him feel more comfortable with stepping down.

There were plenty of questions about her relationship with Roman during interviews, but Alison simply smiled and told them that they were getting to know each other. Past that, she wouldn't discuss her private relationships. Most of the people she dealt with respected that decision, and the others were met with a stony silence until they moved on with the conversation.

Ronnie had returned to the road full time two days before, and Alison was happy to hear that her new home was all ready for her to move in and begin furnishing the barren rooms. While she could have simply called any number of interior decorators, Alison wanted to furnish the house on her own. She had already picked out quite a few things for her new home, and was simply waiting until she was there to take delivery of them. She would be touring until the end of August, making stops at a few music festivals as well as her own shows. While she loved touring, she was very happy to know that she would be able to sleep in her own bed – when she finally got around to buying one – in just a few weeks.

Alison had managed to convince Dean to speak with her on the phone, a feat she wasn't sure she would ever manage to pull off. He disliked texting and outright **refused **to post to Twitter, even after the company insisted that he get one. That he occasionally picked up the phone and rang her in order to talk about his day or about something that was bothering him still amazed her. Now, she sat cross-legged in the middle of her hotel bed eating Chinese delivery and watching reruns of Doctor Who as they talked about what was going on with the Shield.

"I just hate being on the Goddamn pre-show like a piece of shit." Dean grumbled as he flopped across the hotel bed and waited for Roman to finish with the shower so he could take his own before they had to leave. "It's like we're stuck doing this piss ant bullshit."

Alison sighed and set her carton of noodles aside. "Well, you could have been left out completely. And you said yourself that things will be changing soon."

"They keep saying that, but we're just going around and around without making much progress. It's starting to sound like just another load of bullshit."

Alison snorted. "I don't think you're going to get too much further with that US Championship around your waist. They use it as a place holder, and you're better than that."

"So, what should I do? Just drop the belt and hang around Rome and Seth like an asshole?"

"Hell no! You, Roman, and Seth just do your absolute best, put on the most amazing shows you can, and wait it out. If they give you an opportunity to shine, then shine."

Dean chuckled and watched as Roman stepped into the room. "Well, your boy's out of the shower, so I'm gonna grab mine. Thanks for the chat."

"Later, hun." Alison hung up and waited the twenty seconds it took for the phone to ring with Roman's call. "Hey, Big Man."

"Hey, babygirl. How'd your day go?"

"Slept until noon. Had a workout and went shopping for a bit. All in all, it was a pretty good day off."

Roman groaned as he stretched out on his bed, his head pounding. "That's great, babe. Where are you at, again?"

"I'm in Montana at the moment. We're gonna start working our way down the west coast soon. I'll have that charity gala for the arts in LA, and then it's home for good."

Roman chuckled. "You looking forward to being done?"

"Well, I love to tour and play in front of people live, but it takes so much out of me. It'll be nice to visit you on the road more, though, and to get my house in order."

"I just hope we have more to show you next time you come visit me at work."

"You and Dean both." Alison sighed. "But I know you'll get your chance."

"Yeah?"

The vulnerability Alison heard in his voice gave her pause, and she adjusted her tone to one of absolute confidence. "Of course you will, baby! You just need to treat every single match as if it's your turning point."

"And you think that will work?" Still uncertain, Roman felt his mind settling more with each word she spoke.

"I'm **sure **it will work. If you put everything you have into every moment you're in that ring or doing a promo, then they will have no choice but to see all of you for what you are: Absolute. Fuckin'. Superstars."

Alison's absolute conviction and unshakable certainty left Roman no choice but to believe her. She was better at reading people than he was, anyway, and he had a feeling that she knew something he didn't. Besides, if she believed in him that much, then he could do no less than put absolutely every fiber of his being into every bit of his in ring and promo work.

"You know, I really needed to hear all of that." Roman shook his head and stared at the ceiling for a moment. "I'm not sure why. I didn't used to."

"Hey, we all need a little boost sometimes."

Roman snorted. "Since when do **you**, the unshakable and totally cool Alison,need a boost?"

"You have no idea, do you? I get a little pick-me-up every time you call me 'babygirl' or ask my opinion on something."

Roman was stunned for a minute and then laughed softly. "Babygirl, you have no idea how much I want to see you right now. And it sucks that we have to get on the road in an hour."

"Seth getting your dinner?"

Just as he was about to answer, the door swung open under Seth's heavy hand. "Yeah, and he just walked in."

"That Alison?" Seth grinned as he put the drink carrier on the table and began pulling food from the takeout bags. When Roman nodded, he shouted at the phone. "Hey, Alison sweetheart!"

"Tell the Tigger wannabe I said hi, and go eat. You need to keep your energy up."

Roman laughed and said goodnight before doing just what she said.


	8. Of Hearts and Egos

**Please review, and I hope you don't hate me.**

"Thank you Los Angeles!" Alison's voice, magnified by the amplifiers, floated above the screaming legion of her fans. "I couldn't have imagined a better night to close out a tour! I fuckin' love you all!"

With a few blown kisses and hugs to her band, Alison stepped off stage and wrapped a sweaty arm around Ronnie. "We did it, girl! My first real big tour is **done**!"

Ronnie laughed and pressed a kiss to her friend's cheek. "Hell yeah!"

Alison accepted the protein shake Ronnie handed her, chugging great mouthfuls as they walked along the back corridor of the arena.

Closing the door to her private dressing room behind them, Alison grinned. "So, I'm thinking of blowing off the charity thing and just meeting up with Roman and the boys on the road for a bit. I can give the art foundation money from anywhere."

"You've been looking forward to sleeping in your own bed for weeks now!" Ronnie shook her head but laughed anyway. "Ah, hell, who am I kidding? I'd do the same damn thing, and you don't even **have **a bed yet! You call and figure out to where I'm getting plane tickets."

Alison was giggling as she dialed her phone. Nearly 2,000 miles away in Kansas City, Roman's phone rang until it went to voicemail. Alison simply shrugged and went to take a shower. She wanted to be ready to leave as soon as possible, and he was obviously grabbing something to eat with the boys after putting in some work on Raw earlier that evening.

Returning from washing away the sweat of the night, Alison sipped a second protein shake and dialed Roman's number again. When it went to voicemail for the second time, she shrugged and left a quick message.

"Hey Big Man. Just finished my tour, and thought I'd blow off this charity thing and come hang with you for a few days instead. Sound good? I'm going to keep my hotel room until I hear from you, so give me a call!"

Returning to her hotel, she was glad to have all four of her bodyguards with her, as the crowd outside the hotel was larger than she had expected. Wading through the throng of people, Alison smiled and waved when she could. She had to be careful not to trip or to step on any of the feet of those surrounding her. Once inside the lobby, she took a deep breath. As they made their way toward the elevators, three girls in their late teens wearing shirts for her tour stood waiting with a harried looking mother.

At her approach, they all smiled brightly. "Oh. My. God!"

"Hey girls! Like the show?"

A tall brunette, the obvious leader and spokesperson, nodded. "It was so much fun! My mom brought us for my birthday!"

"That's an awesome birthday, alright!" Alison could see that the woman's eyes had lightened with happiness and love for her daughter. She also saw that the older woman was wearing no-name canvas shoes and a windbreaker. "Hope you told her thank you already."

The lady smiled kindly. "Only about twenty times, but a sweet sixteen that doesn't involve a car? I'll take it!"

Laughing, Alison accepted a Sharpee meant to write on fabric from Ronnie and began signing their shirts with various messages for each. After wishing the girl a happy birthday and sending them up in the first elevator car, Alison winked at her assistant. Knowing what that meant, Ronnie went to see the manager about taking over the bill for the birthday party girls.

Alison dialed Roman's number again from the balcony of her suite, beginning to worry. It would be about 1:30 where he was tonight, and he should have gotten at least a moment to give her a call.

Calling him one more time ten minutes later, she left another message. "Hey baby. I miss you. Are you alright? Please give me a call when you can, okay?"

Something definitely wasn't right, but she couldn't put her finger on what. Frowning into the humid August night, she decided to try one of his friends instead. Dean's phone rang four times before it went to voicemail. Sighing, she hung up without leaving a message and called Seth instead.

"Hey, sweetheart." Seth answered on the third ring, his voice a little high and rushed. "How'd the last show go?"

"It went great!" Alison laughed triumphantly, but then remembered why she was calling Seth and frowned. "Is Roman with you? I wanted to come hang with you guys for a few days, but can't get him to answer his phone."

"That would be awesome! But, uh, Rome's not. . . He's not . . . with me right now."

"Oh. Well, where is he?"

Seth coughed. "He's. Well, he's. . . Shit."

Alison suddenly understood what he couldn't bring himself to tell her. "He's with somebody else, isn't he?"

"Well, I mean . . ." Seth slumped against his headboard. "Shit."

Alison nodded jerkily, knowing he couldn't see her. "Listen, it's okay. Thanks for not lying to me."

Swallowing thickly, she sighed. "I know when it's time to bow out gracefully. You and Dean make sure you call me sometimes, okay? I love you two."

Before he could answer, Alison hung up and switched off her phone. Pacing just inside the balcony door to the room, she felt the tears threatening. Why did she have to go and fall for the big asshole? He had told her from the beginning that they couldn't be exclusive. Blaming herself for her own heartbreak, Alison did the only thing that had ever brought her solace in times of turmoil.

Pulling a guitar out of its case, she laid it on the bed while she readied a keyboard in case she felt the need for keys instead of strings. Starting her recorder to capture any bits of songs or the occasional complete work, she began singing. When Ronnie came in smiling, she simply shook her head at the brunette and went back to her music, the third verse of Leonard Cohen's iconic "Hallelujah" running through her head.

"Baby I have been here before  
>I know this room, I've walked this floor<br>I used to live alone before I knew you.  
>I've seen your flag on the marble arch<br>Love is not a victory march  
>It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah"<p>

All that night and through the next morning, Alison sat in her bedroom at the top of the most luxurious hotel in the city. Playing through her emotions, she wrote song after song. Finally exhausting herself, she stopped her recorder and pushed everything aside before curling up on the duvet and sleeping fitfully.

**LATE THE NIGHT BEFORE**, in Kansas City:

Roman, Seth, and Dean had spent another Monday Night Raw acting as the executioners for Triple H and Randy Orton. While they weren't thrilled to be doing nothing but showing up long enough to squash the most popular face in the company, they were each happy to be on television. Alison was right, and they knew they each had to put as much into each appearance as they could in order to show the company that they deserved to be pushed.

Dean split from his friends early in the evening, as a tall blonde caught his attention from across the crowded bar and he began running his most effective game. Seth and Roman stuck mostly together, though they began dancing and accepting drinks sent to them by the other club goers. Seth was soon being entertained by a group of club kids who stopped to talk about the band on his shirt.

When a leggy girl with hair so blonde it was white came by the table and boldly asked Roman to dance, he didn't see a reason to turn her down. His cloudy brain was in complete agreement with her suggestion that they needed to go somewhere quieter, as the music was beginning to give him a headache. Her room was mostly dark, and Roman sank easily on the bed, letting her take the role of aggressor. He sobered up enough to insist on a condom, and to make sure it was in place, before she straddled his waist.

His head pounding to the beat of his heart, Roman stumbled into the room he shared with Seth and Dean late the next morning. The door was clicking shut behind him when his vision blurred and pain exploded along his left jaw. He blinked at a pair of scuffed black boots before he slowly pulled himself up off the floor to face his friend and brother.

"What the fuck?!"

Dean shook his head and began stripping down to get in the shower, having arrived back at the room only a few minutes before Roman. "Fuck you, man. That girl cared about you, and you pull some bullshit like this?! Yeah, you don't deserve her."

Roman watched as Dean slammed into the bathroom before looking at Seth, who had sat quietly on the edge of the bed the entire time. "What is he talking about?"

"Alison, you asshat! Who else?" Seth snorted. "Anyone with eyes could tell that she was falling for you."

Roman frowned and rubbed his jaw, beginning to think that maybe he had messed something up. "We both agreed to how things were going to be."

"You can be such an egotistical asshole sometimes, you know that? You can give a woman a thousand reasons to cheat, and she'll find one reason to stay. She was obviously waiting for you to figure out that you wanted to only be with her." Seth shook his head. "That girl is heartbroken."

Not liking the way that sounded, Roman growled and looked at his phone for the first time that morning, frowning at the number of missed calls and voicemails. "When did you talk to her?"

"Last night, after she couldn't get you to answer your fucking phone!" Seth shook his head in pity for his friend. "She told me that she knew when to bow out gracefully, and for Dean and I to call her sometimes. Said she loved us."

Sinking down on the edge of the bed, Roman felt his heart stutter and his eyes begin to water. Hitting the combination for his voicemail just as Dean came back into the room, his breath caught as Alison's voice floated from his phone. _"Hey Big Man. Just finished my tour, and thought I'd blow off this charity thing and come hang with you for a few days instead. Sound good? I'm going to keep my hotel room until I hear from you, so give me a call!"_ And then, more worried now: _"Hey baby. I miss you. Are you alright? Please give me a call when you can, okay?"_

A bowling ball lodged itself in his chest, and Roman fought to breathe. Looking at his friends, he fought back tears. "Shit. I really did fuck this up."

Dean snorted and rubbed at his collarbone nervously, his jaw flexing and rolling against his tongue. "No shit."

Seth sighed. "Maybe we can fix this."

"How?" Roman shook his head.

Having a sudden idea, Roman brought up his twitter app and shot off a tweet to the one person he thought might help him. _PerezHilton: I fucked up and need your help._

A moment later, a DM from Perez arrived in his in box. _So Ronnie said. DM me your number so we can talk._

Sending off his number, Roman waited nearly five minutes before his phone rang. "Hello?"

"Hello, Mr. Reigns." Perez paused. "Am I on speaker right now?"

"Yeah, my boys are here."

"Good. Then they can hear me when I tell you that I think you're nothing but a dirty _puta _who has hurt my girl very badly!"

Roman nodded, knowing that he deserved the tongue lashing. "I know I fucked up, and I don't deserve her, but I want to fix things."

Perez sighed. "Look, if she decides to take you back and you can keep it in your pants around other women, then good. I'll be happy for you. But, I will not help someone I have never met get back together with one of my best friends."

Roman's phone flashed as he was hung up on, and he flopped back on the mattress. "What the hell am I supposed to do now?"

Seth shrugged and began packing his bags. "No idea, man."

Where his heart and mind were failing him, Roman's ego came to the rescue. She was just angry, and would come around eventually. After all, he was **Roman Reigns**for Christ's sake!

"I'll just have to keep calling. She'll eventually have to talk to me."

"And what?" Dean chuckled as he rubbed at the back of his neck. "You think you'll just snap your fingers and she'll come a runnin'?"

Roman shook his head and checked to make sure his bags were packed. "No. I just know that she'll realize that there's no one out there that can compete with me."

Seth shook his head. "There's that ego again."

"Roman, man," Dean shoved his feet into his shoes as he spoke. "You **do **know that you aren't the only man on the planet, right?"

Keeping his thoughts to himself, Roman made sure his phone charger was handy in case he needed it on the ride. He wanted to make sure his phone was operational when Alison eventually called him back. Pressing the appropriate number, he left her the first of his voicemails apologizing to her and asking for her to call him back.

O:O:O:O:O:O:

Late Tuesday afternoon, Alison woke with a renewed sense of determination. Why the hell should she be the one curled up in bed crying? She had been through breakups before, and survived them just fine. Was she really going to lie here and drown in her tears while he was probably out doing any number of willing women? Sniffling, she pulled herself out of bed and trudged on wobbly legs to the door.

Ronnie was sitting on the couch, and stood as soon as she saw the redhead in the doorway. "You okay, honey?"

"Yeah," Alison nodded and shoved her tangled hair out of her face. "Where is the dress for the charity thing tonight? And I need to find someone to do my hair."

"I'll get someone up here right away." Ronnie smiled sadly. "You sure you want to do this?"

"Well, what else am I supposed to do?!" Wiping at her treacherous tears, Alison sniffled. "I'm not going to sit here and wallow in my own misery. It's about time I go out and have some fun now that the tour is over."

Ronnie nodded. "So, what's the plan?"

"I get a shower, wash and condition the hell out of this rat's nest I call hair, put on that beautiful dress, and see how much fun I can have."

"Good," Ronnie began dialing the hotel phone for the concierge. "You go start on the shower, and I'll get someone who can help tame those curls."

Turning her phone back on, she let it cycle through the missed calls, texts, and voicemails before deleting them all without even checking them. Texting Perez, she asked if he would be there that evening and smiled when he said that he would. The fact that Roman had gone to him for help made her roll her eyes in derision.

When she exited the shower, she patted her hair lightly with a town and slipped on a robe. The hairstylist was an older woman with clear blue eyes. Her voice was smokey when she said hello and admired the dress that Alison would wear that evening.

Two hours later, Alison grinned as she took in her appearance in the wide, full length mirror. The Regency style dress fit perfectly over the old fashioned stays and petticoats she wore. The pale green complemented her braided and styled hair and emerald eyes while the off the shoulder cap sleeves revealed the creamy skin of her collarbone and chest. She wore dancing slippers that did nothing to improve her height, but looked amazing with the dress.

The speeches and pleas for donations took nearly two hours, and then the guests were free to mingle. Alison had helped herself to a few finger sandwiches and laughed as some of the other partygoers swept around the dance floor in dizzying circles. She was dropping her card with a promised donation amount of forty thousand dollars into the decorative collection bowl when she heard her name being called.

Perez, dressed to the nines in a black velvet tuxedo and blue tie, smiled at her. "Diva!"

"Diva!" Alison echoed him and smiled widely. "I **love **the suit!"

"And I just **adore **that dress! You look absolutely ravishing!"

Dissolving into giggles, they drew together in a firm hug before posing for a Perez selfie.

"So, are we over him so soon, or are we faking it till we make it?"

Alison gave a watery smile before clearing her throat and squaring her shoulders. "Oh, I am so faking the **hell **out of this thing."

"Well, you are doing an excellent job of it." Perez hugged her again. "I've got to go mix and mingle some more, but you call me if you need someone to eat ice cream and watch Legally Blonde with."

Laughing brightly, Alison kissed his cheek and went to find other friends.

Scarlett Johansson, whom she had met a few years ago, was standing a few yards away speaking with a group of men Alison did not know. Plastering a smile on, she stepped up and said hello. Turning, the taller woman brought her in for a light hug.

"Alison, hi! I was hoping you were going to make it!" Turning, she introduced her to the men. "This is Robert Downey Jr., Mark Ruffalo, and Tom Hiddleston."

"**You **are absolutely breathtaking," Robert laid the charm on thick while kissing her knuckles.

Alison simply thanked him before shaking hands with the others.

"My dear, I must second Robert's assessment." Tom's blue eyes sparkled with merriment as his cultured British accent caressed her lightly. "That dress is divine on you."

"Well, it's not very often that I got to dress up when I was a girl, so I tend to go all out now that I have the chance." Leaning closer, she adopted a stage whisper. "Plus, I always wanted to be Elizabeth Bennett."

His hand on his chest, he chuckled and gave a slight bow. "Well then, you **must **do me the honor of a dance."

Alison found herself blushing. She was flirting with Tom Hiddleston! "But a **waltz**, Mr. Hiddleston? How very bold of you!"

"Please call me Tom." Taking her hand, he led her out onto the floor, his blue eyes shining. "And I promise to behave as a true English gentleman."

Allowing him twirl her around on the floor, Alison laughed openly.

Oh, yes. This was so much nicer than sulking!

O:O:O:O:O:

"This is Brooke Anderson, reporting live from the National Foundation for the Arts gala ball!" The television in the airport lounge was showing some blonde woman in an ice blue dress.

Dean snorted from where he was slouched in one of the more comfortable chairs. "Why the hell are we watching this shit?"

The Bella twins giggled together, though only Brie answered him. "We just want to see the dresses, and we missed the red carpet because of the stupid plane delay."

The host began making a circuit around an elaborate dance floor, the sounds of a waltz being played by strings filling the background. "Perez! It's good to see you! And you're looking so nice this evening!"

Roman and Seth both turned from their phones at the sound of the familiar name.

"Thank you, Ms. Anderson! You are quite lovely tonight as well."

Brooke smiled brightly. "So, give me the scoop! Who do you think is the best dressed here tonight?"

"Well, while there a lot of beautiful people in beautiful clothes, I must say that Alison, Susan Sarandon, and Amanda Seyfried are the most beautiful. But that's not the big story of the night." Pointing across the room, his smile was Cheshire Cat wide. "That is."

The camera turned and focused on a tall man expertly leading a small woman through the twirling and whirling steps of a waltz, her copper hair adorned in braids and tiny flowers and shining in the light. As they drew nearer, Alison's shining smile hammered the breath from Roman's chest. What the hell was she doing dancing with some man?

"Is that Alison Hedland dancing with Tom Hiddleston?!"

"Oh, yes it is," Perez laughed. "And it looks as if she's having a **very **good time. I would **hate **to be one of the exes who couldn't commit to her right about now. Wouldn't you?"

Dean was suddenly on his feet in the now silent room. He popped his knuckles and then stretched his hands as he shifted his shoulders nervously. "How're we handling this, Rome?"

"Handle what? That guy? He's nothing!" Roman smirked, proud that Dean would want to back him up.

"Um, **hello**?!" AJ frowned over at the trio. "That is Tom freaking Hiddleston!"

Roman was still completely unimpressed. "So he's an actor. Big deal."

"Um, this is a very big deal." Nikki Bella spoke to back up her fellow Diva. "And you should be very, very worried."

Cameron and Naomi walked in carrying their dinners. "Who should be worried about what?"

Brie answered for her sister. "Alison's dancing with Tom Hiddleston!"

"Ooooo," Naomi shook her head at her future cousin in law. "And you insisted on having an open relationship."

Now, Roman found himself frowning. "Why the hell does everyone know my business? And why the hell should I be worried about some tall, skinny, piece of shit like him?"

"He's a Disney prince." Summer nodded sagely from her seat beside Fandango.

Punk's chuckle slowly died down as he realized that every woman in the room was nodding. "What the hell?"

"Well, you know how people are always going on about how Disney gives girls unrealistic expectations of men?" When a few people nodded, Summer continued. "Well, he proves that statement to be completely wrong."

"He likes to recite poetry, and speaks different languages." Brie smiled.

Nikki continued. "And he looks **amazing **in historic costumes."

"You can see that he can dance, **and **he gave his coat to that one journalist when she was chilly!" Layla smiled. "That was just so sweet."

"He can sword fight!" Brie giggled.

"He's great with little kids and is an ambassador for UNICEF, which is amazing." AJ again. "Plus, he plays **Loki**, who is a prince of Asgard. The comics are part of Marvel, which is owned by Disney. Therefore, Tom Hiddleston is a living, breathing Disney prince."

Roman frowned at the television, though it was now showing some reality show. Alison hadn't been answering his calls, and she had been very upset last night. The thought of losing her physically hurt him, but was she already gone?

"Mr. Reigns!" The booming, gravelly voice of Triple H drew everyone's attention. "A word, please."

Casting questioning looks at Dean and Seth, Roman stood from the table and followed the COO just outside the door. "Yes?"

"Steph and I love each other very much."

"Um, okay?"

"It's damn near impossible to admit that you need someone, isn't it?" The older man smirked and continued without waiting for Roman to answer. "Steph and I started dating while we were working together, but it took a lot of smacking my head against a wall before I admitted how much she meant to me. Hell, she nearly left me once."

"She did?" Roman suddenly wanted every detail of someone else's relationship, which he had hated hearing about all his life. "What happened?"

"I was stupid. Didn't treat her as the queen she is." He chuckled ruefully. "She stopped talking to me. Complete radio silence. I went to her house and sat on her front step until she finally came out and told me to leave. Managed to start talking, and she eventually started listening."

"So, what are you saying?"

"I'm saying," Hunter chuckled, "that it looks like you have a shoulder injury and won't be able to attend the house shows this week."

Roman's voice stopped in his throat as a plane ticket appeared before his eyes, held by an expertly manicured hand.

Stephanie McMahon snuggled up against her husband's chest after Roman took the paper from her fingers. "You leave in an hour. Go get your bags."

"But – Um." Roman wasn't used to being speechless, but he found himself unable to say anything past the gratitude.

"Roman?" Triple H leaned forward with a smirk.

Finding his voice, he frowned. "How did you even know about us?"

Stephanie gave a little snorting giggle. "Are you kidding?! We have an **entire department **that does nothing but monitor social media stuff!"

"Okay, fair enough. But why do you care?"

Stephanie smiled. "We aren't completely heartless, you know. Besides, happy relationships make for better workers. And good workers are . . . best for business."

"Now," Hunter grinned widely. "Don't you have someplace you need to be?"

Thanking them both, he slid through the lounge doors to collect his things. Filling Dean and Seth in on what was happening, he hugged them both. Waving to the others, he began jogging through the airport to get through security and find his plane.

The Tom Hiddleston list is based off on found on Buzzfeed by Donna Dickens.


	9. Little Talks

The flight from Lincoln, Nebraska, lasted just over four hours, but it may as well have been days. Roman first attempted to listen to his mp3 player as he usually did on flights, but every song either grated on his nerves or somehow served to remind him of Alison. His legs shifted and jumped, unable to remain still as his mind raced, his hands drumming on the armrests until the older woman next to him shifted away uncomfortably.

"Sorry," he mumbled and tried to settle into his seat.

"It's okay." The woman smiled and adjusted her impressive wedding ring before returning to the knitting on her lap. "Want to talk about it?"

Roman shook his head and sighed. "No."

"Well, I hope she's worth it."

Raising his brows, he leaned back against the window so he wasn't crowding her. "How do you know there's a woman involved?"

"Any time a man can't sit still, checks his phone every few seconds, and acts like a bear to everyone around him? There **has **to be a woman involved."

She was quiet for a moment before she chuckled and raised a brow of her own. "Unless, of course, you're not into women?"

"No, no. Definitely into women." Shaking his head, he chuckled and held out his hand. "Roman Reigns."

"Jessica Douglas." Shifting her knitting needles to her left hand, she shook with her right. "Now, tell me what's wrong."

"I screwed up, and I don't know if I can talk her into forgiving me."

"Well, I would say that depends on the act and the woman involved." Jessica paused as she turned the work in her hands. "How bad was it?"

He sighed, not believing he was about to discuss his private life with a complete stranger, but feeling oddly comfortable with it as well. "I didn't think it was a big deal at the time, but it turned out to be."

Frowning, Jessica stored her knitting and asked the attendant for a vodka when he stopped by with the cart. "Okay, tell me what's going on."

With a sigh, he took a drink of his water and launched into the story. She only interrupted his monologue in order to gain clarification or to ask who different people were. When he was finished, she clicked her tongue and shook her head.

"Well, you **have **made a mess of things." Sighing deeply, she finished off her drink and once again retrieved her knitting. "Want a woman's advice?"

"At this point, it couldn't hurt."

"You go there, and you say you're sorry. Tell her how you feel. Then, ask her what you can do to make things right."

"And then what?"

She shrugged. "And then you **do it**. Don't argue unless she says there's no way to make it better. Just suck it up, keep your big head from getting in your way, and then deal with it."

Nodding, Roman lapsed into silence as he stared out the window in thought. Objectively, who was at fault for the situation? While he had made it clear that they were to be free to see other people at the beginning of the relationship, he **had **spent most of his free time speaking or texting with Alison. They were always talking about what they would do the next time they could see each other. It only makes sense that she would begin to see them as being exclusively together, and he never said or did anything to discourage the thought because it benefited him for her to think that way.

Somewhere high above the deserts of what was either Utah or Arizona, deep in the peaceful night, Roman faced some hard truths about his character. He had wanted Alison all for himself, but had been unwilling to give her all of himself. He had always been the biggest and one of the toughest, and saw himself as superior to other men, not recognizing that there were different traits that women found appealing. He had behaved like a child with a new toy, and he now had to face the consequences, grow up, and take his punishment.

He just hoped that punishment didn't include losing Alison.

After the exhausting plane ride, Marko met Roman at the door to the suite, his frown telling the Samoan loud and clear that his predawn visit was not appreciated. "Got half a mind to throw you down an elevator shaft."

Ignoring the comment, Roman craned his neck in an attempt to look around the bigger man. "Is she awake? Can I talk to her?"

"She's awake," Alison's voice interrupted whatever Marko was going to say. "And it depends on what you have to say."

Marko stepped to the side, revealing Alison standing just outside her bedroom door, her hair braided down her back and face clear. Leaning forward, the large man spoke to him lowly. "Don't make me regret letting you in."

"Marko, go on to bed. We'll be fine." Alison yawned and went to put on a pot of coffee as Roman sat his bags down and came to sit at the tiny bar separating the kitchenette from the living area.

Marko sniffed and nodded before eyeing Roman once again. "I'll go to my room, but that don't mean I'm going to sleep."

"I'm sorry." Roman's voice was loud in the quiet of the hotel suite as they waited for the black liquid to fill the carafe. "Please, you have to believe me."

Alison snorted in derision. "First, I don't **have **to do anything. And second, I'd like to know what you're sorry for: that you hurt me, or that you got caught."

"You're right, you don't have to do anything, but I hope that you'll listen to me. And I'm so sorry for hurting you, Babygirl."

"Don't!" Alison choked back a tear as she poured two cups of coffee and sat his in front of him before retrieving cream and sugar. "You don't get to call me that right now."

"Okay," he sighed and sipped his coffee black as he waited for her to continue.

Alison sighed as she stirred her mug. "I just. . . I don't know what to say."

"Please just talk to me."

"I don't know if I can, or if it would even make a difference at this point."

Roman felt the floor disappear from beneath his feet. "Yes, it would."

Drumming her fingers on the counter, Alison organized her thoughts before she spoke. "Okay, here's the deal. At first, I was just flat-out fucking pissed. Then, I was so sad. Now, I think I've figured some shit out.

"I'm willing to take some of the blame for this because I didn't explicitly talk to you about things, and men are far more logical than women. I **thought **we were on the same page, but we obviously weren't. I need a few days to really think the whole situation over, and I think you do as well."

Roman nodded, able to breathe just a bit easier. "I can agree with that."

"We both need to think long and hard about what we want from each other."

"Okay," he nodded. "I have the rest of the week off now, so it's not like we won't be in the same city."

"Wow, nearly a week off?" Thinking for a moment, Alison frowned. "How did you even get here, anyway?"

"I got through the Smackdown taping and flew in from Nebraska. Guess I have to line up a ticket back to Florida now."

Rolling her eyes, Alison sighed. "You can fly back with Ronnie, Irish, and I."

"You sure?"

"If you had shown up this time yesterday morning, I probably would've thrown you out of the plane. I'm not as mad today, but don't expect a whole lot of conversation either."

O:O:O:O:O:O:

Friday morning saw Alison waking up in her hotel room and getting ready for a day of shopping. Her lack of bed – or even a couch – at home had necessitated a stay in the city, though she planned to remedy that shortly. Ronnie and Irish headed out to the new house to wait on the deliveries that had already been arranged. Stopping for coffee, she smiled at the barista who stared at her, eyes wide, until prompted to make her double latte.

The rest of the morning was spent shopping for her new home. A massive, curtained bed and mattress set for the master suite as well as a few smaller beds for the other bedrooms were all purchased at one store. Kitchen appliances and various accessories from dishes to cutlery were bought at another. By the time she was finished, she had put quite a dent in what was needed to furnish the new place, and was quite happy with her purchases. Bedding and towels had been ordered online, so she was reasonably certain that the basics were covered.

Her phone rang as she was selecting wicker baskets for the laundry room. With a smile, she accepted Dean's call. "Hey, Hun."

"Hey, Little Red!" His voice was excited. "What're you doin' right now?"

"Trying to decide if I want to put a drying rack in the laundry room for delicates." Scanning the barcode necessary, she added two of the wall-mounted racks to the electronic list she was building with the help of the store's handheld scanner. "What're you up to this fine afternoon?"

"Seth and I got into Pensacola last night. Those two decided to hit the gym, but I wanted to see you instead."

Smiling, she let him know where she was, and he arrived half an hour later while she was deciding how many spice jars she would need to fill the small shelves below the kitchen cabinets.

"What's with the jars?" Dean grinned widely and wrapped her in a tight hug.

Alison hugged him and then explained what was going on.

Blinking a few times, he chuckled. "You're getting jars for salt and pepper and shit?"

"Yep," she giggled.

"Girls are weird."

Laughing heartily, Alison wondered out loud if she had everything she needed.

Dean shrugged. "Got curtains and blinds?"

"Crap!" Alison laughed and led him to the appropriate section.

Dean snorted. "How the hell do you forget curtains? Isn't that a girl thing?"

"Hey, I got distracted by the Kitchenaids!"

Dean frowned. "The fuck is a Kitchenaid?"

"Well, I was picking out a stand mixer. You know, for baking?"

"You bake?"

Alison nodded. "When I get a chance."

"That's it!" Dean pointed at her commandingly. "I'm keeping you."

Laughing, Alison nodded. "Okay."

Deciding to go with simple roll blinds and sheers for now, Alison watched as Dean twirled a curtain rod disinterestedly. "So, why are you really here?"

Grinning widely, Dean shrugged. "Rome knew you were going shopping for all this shit today and wanted to make sure you had the muscle power to handle it."

Alison's cheeks flushed, and she couldn't stop the small smile that hovered on her lips.

"Yeah, I see that smile." Pinning her with a level stare, he shook his head. "How long are you gonna leave my boy to twist in the wind?"

Alison sighed. "I just want to be sure that he isn't going to hurt me again."

"Can we ever be sure of that, though?" Dean shrugged. "Just because people love each other don't mean they don't hurt each other."

Blinking up at the blonde man, Alison smiled. "You're really smart, you know that?"

Ducking his head, he shrugged and shuffled nervously. "Naw, I'm a piece of shit."

"Dean Ambrose!" Alison's eyes spit fire as she grasped his chin and forced him to meet her gaze. "You **ever** say that about yourself again, and I will kick your ass my damn self."

Dean's eyes were wide as he stared at her.

"Do you understand me?" His nod wasn't good enough, and she wiggled his head a bit. "Do you?!"

"Yes, ma'am."

She nodded sharply. "Good. Now, let's go get this paid for. I want to get groceries before he head home."

Tugging her braid playfully, Dean chuckled. "You're kinda scary."

"Honey, you have **no idea **just how scary I can be."

They were walking through the grocery store, and he was watching Alison as she smelled or lightly squeezed different fruit before he spoke again. "You never answered my question."

"Well, I don't really have an answer." Handing him a bag, she showed him how to pick out mangos before continuing. "I do know that, if he is willing to compromise on a few things, I would like to try it again."

Placing the fruit in the cart, Dean watched as she selected some bananas and them some pineapple. "He misses you, ya know."

"Yeah?"

Snorting, he nodded. "It's pretty pathetic."

"Well, good." She nodded firmly. "He deserves it."

Alison smirked and snapped a photo of Dean giving one of his crazy smiles as he weighed out bags of spices from the large bins in front of him. Before she posted it to twitter, she added: _Dean Ambrose gets SPICY!_

Laughing, Alison shook her head and moved on to the vegetable compartments as she thought over what Dean had said. She had spent the entire previous day locked in a hotel room obsessing about Roman and about them as a couple. She knew that she had to tell him, point blank, that she wanted a committed, exclusive relationship that included the two of them and no one else.

She also needed to point out that she would not take any disrespect. While he was very obviously an alpha male, she was strong as well and knew that she was worth more than he had given her credit for. She wasn't going to bow to his every whim and command, but she would respect him, and she expected the same from him in return.

Pointing out to Dean what milk and half and half she wanted, she slipped her phone from her pocket and fired off a text. _Did you really send Dean to help with moving stuff?_

It was ten minutes later, when she was telling her slightly confused shopping partner why she would need so many different kinds of tea, that she got a response. _Depends on if you think it's sweet or not._

_I think it's very sweet._

The response was immediate. _Then yes. I sent him._

Scanning through the aisles, Alison dialed her phone. When he answered, she smiled and said "Hey, babe."

Roman had excused himself from where Seth continued to nibble at his plate and smiled widely at the endearment. "Hey, girl. Dean treating you okay?"

"He keeps trying to sneak cookies into my cart, as if I don't see him, but yes. I'm putting you on speaker." Pausing to hit the appropriate button and to look at the blonde man, she swatted his hand as he reached for another packet of chocolate chip cookies. "If you give me a minute, we'll hit the baking aisle, and pick up stuff for actual good cookies, you big toddler!"

Dean stopped moving and stared at her for a moment. "You'll **bake **me cookies?"

Alison frowned at how disbelieving he sounded and nodded. "Sure! Have to test out the new oven at some point, right?"

"Chocolate chip?"

Smiling, she nodded. "Sure!"

"Oatmeal?"

Nodding again. "No problem."

Sliding his eyes from side to side, he looked at her uncertainty and nearly whispered. "Snickerdoodles?"

"Any kind you want!"

With a whoop of pure joy, he nearly ran to the next aisle, leaving Alison standing by herself. Shaking her head, she went back to her conversation with Roman, who had sat back down with Seth.

"He is way too excited about some cookies."

Roman nodded to himself. "He's just not used to people doing nice things for him."

"That's just not right. He's such a sweetheart." She shook her head and added some crackers to her cart before continuing. "Anyway, we're just about finished here, and then we'll be meeting up with Ronnie at the house to see what I can get situated there. Would you and Seth like to join us?"

Roman could hear the olive branch she was offering, and smiled at his friend. "Want to go see Ali's new house?"

Seth nodded. "Hell, yeah!"

"Yeah, Ali, we'll be there after we finish eating. It'll be an hour or so."

"Okay, see you then. And maybe we can get some time later to talk?"

Clearing his throat, Roman grinned. "I'd like that."

Alison sighed. "And Roman?"

"Yeah?"

"Call me Babygirl."

She hung up before he could respond, and Roman pumped his fist in triumph.

O:O:O:O:O:O:

Roman and Seth arrived just as Dean was making a second trip inside with his arms full of food. Seth looked up at the house in awe as Irish whistled to get their attention and then waved them into the now open second garage bay. As the door closed behind them, they wordlessly collected the rest of the bags from the back of her Mercedes Benz SUV and traipsed into the kitchen.

"Hey guys!" Alison shut the dishwasher and came to kiss Roman lightly before hugging Seth. "Remember how to find the place okay?"

"Yeah," Seth nodded. "This place is **amazing**!"

Roman pulled her to his chest for another kiss after putting the bags on the counter. "Missed you, Babygirl."

"Mmm. . . Missed you too, Big Man." Winking, she went back to surveying the space available in the cabinets. "Things are a little insane in here right now, as you can tell."

Ronnie jogged into the kitchen, skidding to a halt at the sight of the men. "Oh, hi! Alison, babe, we have **got **to figure something out with all this shit. None of the delivery guys know what to do or where they're going."

Grabbing a notebook and a roll of tape, Alison handed them to her assistant. "Label the master bedroom and then number the smaller ones with 1-5. I'll handle the rest."

Stepping out onto the front porch, she took a deep breath and surveyed the men milling about the trucks in the hot afternoon air. "Everyone, your attention please!"

Pointing to the men who had hauled the beds and mattresses, and who were parked closest, she gave her first order. "The bedrooms are labeled. I'll let you know which bed goes where. Start with the huge motherfucker that goes in the master. Top of the stairs, second door on the right!"

"Who has kitchenware?" When a smaller truck's attendants raised their hands, she motioned them forward. "Everything goes straight in. Kitchen's past the stairs."

Motioning to a third truck, she pointed to the front porch. "I want the white rockers here. Everything else goes around back. There's a sidewalk to the side of the house."

"If anyone has any questions or wants clarification, please see either myself, one of the men behind me, or my assistant Veronica. You can't miss her, she's the stunning brunette and the only other woman here." Smirking, she held up her hand. "Just so everyone is aware, I'll tip bigger if you help with the unpacking."

A cheer went up from the crowd, and she turned to find the three members of the Shield standing shirtless in her doorway. Chuckling at her blatant appraisal, Roman tilted her chin up with the back of his finger to kiss her softly as they passed. Shaking her head at their antics, Alison opened both front doors to make the opening as large as possible and then retreated to the stairs to direct traffic.

Four hours later, the trucks had all been emptied and sent on their way. Dean's hair was plastered to his forehead as he lugged a box of window sheers into the dining room to join the other boxes of things Alison wasn't ready for just yet. Seth's two toned tresses were secured into a ponytail, the Chinese characters running down his spine glistening in the early evening light. Roman had his own hair tied back in a low bun, his caramel skin nearly glowing as he moved another box of dishes from the floor onto the counter for Alison to sort and put away.

Ronnie had just arrived with Chinese take-out, and they all sat down at the new table on the back porch to eat and watch the ocean waves lap gently on the shore.

"Thanks for helping, guys." Alison toasted her friends with her beer bottle. "You didn't have to."

Dean shrugged and smiled widely. "Clean kitchen means cookies."

"Yes, it does." Alison giggled. "What's your absolute favorite kind of cookie, Dean?"

Sitting his beer down, Dean rolled his tongue over his teeth in thought. Frowning, his brows drew together in thought. "Um, chocolate chip?"

"Do you think it's chocolate chip, or do you **know** it is?"

"Well, do different cookies taste better when they're homemade?"

Alison smiled. "How about I just make all my favorites and you can decide which ones you want more of?"

"Fuckin' sweet!" Dean cheered. "When's the pool gonna be ready?"

Ronnie answered, since Alison's mouth was now full. "There should be a pool person here tomorrow afternoon at 1:00."

Roman sent Dean and Seth home soon after everyone had finished eating, and Ronnie excused both herself and her husband with a promise to call the next morning. Alison had packaged the leftovers and sent them home with the men, and so had little to clean up from dinner.

She was tossing the empty beer bottles into the recycling bin when strong arms slid around her waist and a growl rumbled against her back. "We gotta have that talk, Babygirl."

Alison nodded and snuggled back against him. "Yeah, we do."

"C'mon," grasping her hand, he led her back to the porch. Sinking doing in one of the couches surrounding the grill and pizza oven, he pulled her into his lap. "Now, let's do this."

"There are other seats, you know." She giggled.

He nodded. "Yeah, but I like you right where you are."

Rolling her eyes, she settled in for the conversation she knew they had to have. "So, what are we going to do?"

"I've realized a few things about myself that I'm not particularly proud of."

"Like what?"

Roman snorted. "Mostly that I'm an egotistical asshole, and that I shouldn't try to demand things from you that I don't expect from myself."

"Meaning?"

He sighed, hating that he had to put himself through this. "Meaning that I have to admit that I might not be the only man on the planet that you find attractive. I shouldn't demand that you only be with me if I'm free to sleep with others. And, since you aren't willing to be non-exclusive, then I'm going to have to grow the fuck up, be a man, and commit myself to you and to our relationship."

Alison's breath caught and she drew away from him in order to meet his eyes. "Do you mean it?"

"Absolutely," he nodded. "I'm going to need reminded about the ego, I think."

"As long as I don't have to remind you not to sleep with other women, and we actually **talk **about shit, then we're good." Alison's stern glare drew a chuckle from him, and Roman squeezed her.

"I think I've learned my lesson. I don't want to ever have to face the possibility of you leaving me again."

"Be faithful to me, treat me with respect, and keep your ego in check, and we should be good." Kissing him deeply, she drew away to unwind his hair. "Now, take me to bed, Big Man."

Without a word, Roman slid an arm under her thighs and stood. He paused long enough for her to lean down and lock the door and then set the alarm before he kissed her deeply and easily climbed the stairs. By the time he reached the top of the steps, she had her hair unbraided and the curls brushed over his thigh as he walked.

Reaching her bedroom, he laid her out on the bed that had been constructed and made earlier in the day and slid her shirt up over her head. The clasp of her bra gave easily, and he lowered his mouth to her nipple as she worked his tank top over his head before sinking her fingers into his ebony waves. Grasping her thigh, he pulled her leg to hook over his hip. Settling himself between her legs, he nibbled and licked at her breasts as he held her still below him.

"Oh, Roman!" She moaned and rubbed against him as much as his tight hold would allow.

Rolling the soft material of her cotton shorts and panties over the swell of her hips, he slid them down and off her legs. Standing, he shucked his shoes and the rest of his clothes. Alison's right hand traveled down the flat expanse of her abdomen to slide between her thighs as she watched her tall Samoan lover disrobe.

Roman's eyes locked onto the movement and his lips curled into a nearly sinister smirk. "That's right, Babygirl. Show me exactly where you want me."

Alison sighed, bending her knees and spreading her thighs to give him a clear view of how her hand slid over her slickness. She was wet and open, and Roman loved every second of the show she was giving him. He wanted to put his mouth against all that glistening slickness.

"That's it, Ali." Roman growled. "Jesus, that's **so **it."

She moaned as his rasping voice only served to turn her on further. Little zips of electricity popped along her spine as the pleasure began to take over. When Roman's long fingers hooked under her knees and slid them further apart, she readily made room for his wide shoulders. She clenched her teeth as he fed at her core with lips and tongue, and he drew away with a low sound of displeasure.

"Nu-uh, Babygirl. We've got this whole house to ourselves." Bracing his forearm along her side, he focused on her face as his middle finger slid slowly into her tight opening. "Now, open that pretty little mouth and let me **hear **you."

Alison's jaw dropped and she moaned long and loud as he worked his finger in and out, massaging all the right spots. "Oh. My. Fucking. God."

His chuckle was pure male satisfaction as he removed his hand and then slid up to kiss her. Shifting his lower body away from her, the head of his turgid length bumped down to her entrance. Nibbling at her lower lip, he eased into her and began a slow, easy rhythm. When Alison clenched around him for the first time and shouted out her rapture, he chuckled and continued moving through her orgasm.

"Feel good?"

"Good." Nodding, Alison gasped and sighed below him. "So fucking good."

Rolling his hips, Roman brought his hand down to help give just a little more stimulation to her clit. When she moaned his name in pleasure, he growled low in his chest and began nipping and licking at her neck and shoulder. He was absolutely obsessed with the sounds she was making and wanted to hear more.

The rhythm of Roman's hips, the feel of all that power above her as his length sat deliciously heavy within her, and the pressure on her bundle of nerves built the pleasure until it overlapped and doubled back on itself. It multiplied and filled her until she balanced on the very edge of ecstasy. When he sharply nipped at her jumping pulse, the dam burst and she pulsed and clenched around him as she threw her head back and screamed his name to the sky.

"Jesus Christ, Babygirl." Roman wrapped his arms completely around her diminutive body and buried his face in her neck as his hips lost all control and jackhammered into her. "Oh, damn."

Lost in the throes of bliss, Alison wrapped her legs around her lover and ran her fingers through his hair and down his spine as he gasped and growled against her. "That's it, baby. Let go for me, Big Man."

"Shit," Roman gasped. "Oh fuck, Alison."

Kissing her deeply, he spilled himself into her. His heat pulsing deep within lit off another orgasm in Alison, and she sank her nails into the flesh covering his shoulder blades. She was still shuddering lightly against him when he rolled them so that she came to rest comfortably on his chest.

"You okay, Alison baby?" His large, warm hand slid in an uninterrupted stroke down the entire length of her spine as he spoke. She arched into the touch, and he chuckled lightly. "Feel good?"

Tucking her head beneath his chin, she sighed happily before sleepily replying. "I like when you pet me."

"Good to know, Babygirl."

Forcing her eyes open, Alison giggled and then groaned as his spent length slipped from the cradle of her body. "You want egg whites for breakfast?"

"Hell no," he chuckled. "I'm fuckin' carb loading."

Laughing outright, she pressed kisses over his heart until she drifted to sleep with his arms wrapped around her and one hand lost in her curls.


	10. Kings and Queens

A warm, buttery, sweet smell eased Roman out of his sleep. It tickled his nose and teased his taste buds until it succeeded in drawing him into the waking world with the promise of something sinfully delicious. Sliding out of bed, he retrieved his pants from the floor, took care of his morning needs, and then went to find his tiny redhead.

She was standing at the kitchen counter, his Shield t-shirt from the day before covering her to the skin of her creamy thighs and sliding seductively off her left shoulder. There was music playing softly, and she sang along to the happy song as she danced around easily in her bare feet. As he watched, leaned against the wall, a timer dinged and she used one of her new oven mitts to pull two pans of cookies from the top oven.

Scooping the snickerdoodles from the pans, she smiled over at him as she spread them on the cooling racks. "Hey, Big Man."

"You knew I was here the whole time?" Coming over, he wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her softly. "Smells good in here."

"Baby, you're kinda hard to miss!"

Looking at the small variety of cookies littering the countertop and the island, he chuckled. "Project Find Dean's Cookie is in full swing, I see."

"It's Operation Sweet Success, and the Op Sec on it is of the highest priority." Taking the last two pans of cookies she would be making that day, she slid them into the now empty oven and set the timer.

"What's Op Sec?"

Laughing, she shook her head. "Operational Security. I don't want the others hearing about it and giving him shit."

"Won't say a word, Babygirl." Roman looked around the room and smirked. "It **is **a little early for cookies, though, isn't it?"

"Babe, it's 1:30 in the afternoon! Hell, the pool guys have come and gone!"

"Seriously?! Shit, I'm sorry."

She frowned and waved him to the small table she had set up in the breakfast nook. "Why? You need to rest while you can."

He nodded and accepted the cup of coffee she sat in front of him. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

"I **know **I'm right." Having cleaned up as she went, Alison was able to wipe down a few things and put the rest in the dishwasher before she started on Roman's breakfast. "Now, do you want an omelet, pancakes, waffles, French toast?

"You can make waffles?"

Nodding, she giggled and prepared his food as they discussed what they had planned for the rest of the day. She wanted to spend some time with him, and he needed a day without the gym since he had worked so hard the day before. Setting the plate of fluffy waffles down before him, their little dips sprinkled with powdered sugar, she made a few for herself and joined him, topping her own with butter and maple syrup.

"You know Dean's going to be over as soon as we let him." Roman chuckled and cut into his sweet breakfast.

Alison giggled. "He and Seth are welcome here anytime."

"Thank you."

Thinking he was talking about breakfast, she blushed lightly. "It was no problem. I like cooking."

"Not for breakfast, though I'm thankful for that too. I meant for dealing with those two."

Alison giggled. "They aren't that bad."

"Neither one of them can sit still."

Shrugging, she laughed lightly. "As long as they're good people, I can deal with just about anything else."

Finishing his waffles well after Alison had powered through her smaller helping, Roman stood to take the plates to the sink. As he leaned down to stack their plates and pick up Alison's, she leaned up and kissed him gently, swiping the bit of sugar that clung to his lower lip with the tip of her tongue.

Suddenly, she was all he could focus on. The plates clattered angrily as he let them drop. Leaning down, he thrust his tongue deep as he yanked her to her feet and then up onto the table. When she reached for the hem of the shirt she wore, he swatted her hands away and hit his knees before her. Shoving her thighs apart, he gripped her hips and pulled her to the edge of the thick slab of cherry. Twisting his fingers in the sides of her lacy panties and rending them to shreds with little effort, he put his thick lips to her and began to drink her in.

Alison undulated in a wave, her legs unconsciously moving to hook over his shoulders before he caught and held them up and out of his way. She was moaning and sighing, loving the way his strong hands nearly spanned her thighs to hold her open for his exploration. With the pleasure riding her hard, Alison suddenly began struggling against him, the sensation becoming almost too much to tolerate. He growled a warning and suddenly pinned her hips to the table in a vicelike grip. Unable to grasp anything else, she wrapped her fingers in her own hair as she shouted out her ecstasy.

At the sound of her screaming his name, Roman surged urgently to his feet. Using his wide hands on her slender waist, he turned her onto her stomach. Angling her hips, he shoved his pants down in order to free his hard length and then pushed into her with as much enthusiasm as he thought her small body could handle. She immediately began to thrust back against him, and he chuckled before swatting her lightly on the right butt cheek and meeting her movements a little more forcefully.

Twisting her hair around his wrist, he grasped her curls close to her skull so he didn't hurt her as he pulled her head back to speak into her ear. "I've wanted to fuck you like this since that first night in the airport. You are so goddamn hot in my shirt."

"Oh, goddamn," Alison nearly sobbed. She absolutely adored his voice.

Her toes no longer touching the floor, she was left completely at his mercy. The way he was surging in and out of her, the fist in her hair, and the sporadic swats to her rear end that stung, coupled with the sheer power she could feel surrounding her had her coming apart around him. Her hands scrambled for purchase on the smooth wood as she began to make involuntary little whines in the back of her throat and cooing moans.

When she began to whimper his name, he licked at her ear and swatted her butt in reward. "That's right, Babygirl. You say my name. It's **me **fuckin' you this good."

Sliding the hand not wrapped in her hair between her body and the table, he began pressing on the bundle of nerves that was swollen in need. "Come for me one more time, _Iti'iti Pele_."

His voice was a gruff caress of its own, and she pulsed around him again and again, utterly unable to deny his command. "Oh . . . Oh, Roman!"

As Alison was pitched off the cliff of pure bliss, Roman thrust into her one last time. His knees threatened to give out as he pumped his release deep within her pulsing core. He was forced to lean against the table until he regained feeling in his feet.

Whispering to her in a language she didn't understand, he slid out of her and then scooped her up to carry her up the stairs to share a shower.

An hour later, feeling much more refreshed after a nice relaxing shower, Alison threw away her ruined panties before she washed and disinfected her breakfast table and then called Seth's cell phone.

"Hey, pretty lady!" Seth's voice held a smile. "You two good?"

"Oh, yeah, we're good." Alison chuckled. "You two wanna come over for a swim and dinner?"

Seth hesitated. "Can we bring a friend with us?"

"Depends," Alison began pulling steaks and chicken from the fridge to begin marinating. "Do I like this friend?"

"It's Cesaro."

Giggling, Alison smiled as Roman jogged easily down the stairs. "It's okay with me if your little friend comes over to play, as long as his mommy says it's okay."

Roman's laugh echoed through the still mostly empty house as Alison giggled and told them to bring their swim trunks.

"What're we doin' for dinner, _Iti'iti Pele_?"

"What does that mean?"

Roman chuckled. "It's Samoan. Means "little sweetheart", though Pele is also the name of a volcano goddess."

"Well, I'll take **that** as a compliment." Alison went to her toes to press a kiss on the underside of his chin. "And I was thinking either steak or chicken on the grill with some wild rice and vegetables. I can always reheat anything that isn't eaten after you guys have to hit the road tomorrow afternoon."

Roman growled. "Not looking forward to leaving you here all alone."

"I'll be fine!" Alison chuckled. "I live in a house behind a gate that's in a larger gated, guarded community. There's a deputy that does nothing but circle the island over and over all night long. Besides, Ronnie and Irish will be around from time to time. She's just been letting us have some time to ourselves today."

His reply was cut off by the ringing of her phone. It was the front gate, confirming that she was expecting Seth, Dean, and Cesaro. When she told the guard that they were welcome guests, he wished her a good evening and let them through. When the buzzer sounded for her private gate, she hit the button to let them in immediately.

Seth parked in the garage that she helpfully raised for him and the three men walked into the kitchen a moment later.

Alison smiled as she arranged cookie containers and watched the three men exchange handshake hugs with Roman. "Hey, guys!"

Seth gave her a gentle hug while Cesaro greeted her with a slight bow.

"Hey, Little Red." Dean wrapped an arm around her shoulders and hugged her tight. "Been busy?"

"I spent this morning baking you some cookies."

"Suuuuuure," he smirked and then did air quotes. "Baking cookies."

She laughed. "I'm serious. Rome was asleep so I made these for you."

Dean raised an eyebrow and looked over at Roman in disbelief. "Seriously, dude?"

"Oh, leave him alone! The man **earned **a sleepy morning."

Everyone chuckled as Roman looked a bit embarrassed until Alison led Dean over to the containers waiting for him. "I have chocolate chip, cinnamon oatmeal, pumpkin spice with a cinnamon cream cheese icing, and snickerdoodles."

Roman quietly filled the others in on what was going on, securing their silence on the matter, as Alison watched Dean happily nosh a chocolate chip cookie. The cinnamon oatmeal soon became the front runner. The pumpkin spice did nothing for him, though Cesaro happily volunteered to take some off her hands.

It wasn't until Dean took a large bite of a snickerdoodle, made with her mother's special recipe, that Alison heard the sound she had been waiting for. It was the low moan of a man who had found something he truly enjoyed eating. The rest of the cookie was gone in two bites.

"I think we have a winner!" Giving him three more, Alison giggled at his dark expression and closed up the container. "Now, dinner is in a few hours. You don't need to fill up on cookies."

"Maybe I wanna fill up on cookies."

Ignoring his grumblings, Alison faced the others. "Feel free to swim until then."

Thinking ahead, the men were all wearing their trunks as shorts. They all went out to the pool area and began diving or swimming laps while Alison busied herself with as getting as much done for dinner as she could before it was time to start cooking. She placed the wild rice in the rice cooker and set the timer before washing and chopping the vegetables, storing them in the fridge until she was ready to steam them. Washing and wrapping some potatoes in foil, she put them in to bake.

Having worn a simple green two piece under a black cover-up, Alison stripped the tank dress off and collected some large towels before joining the men. Seth whistled long and low as she stepped out the door. Dean and Cesaro both took a long look, though they kept their thoughts to themselves. Roman nearly stomped over to haul her up against his damp chest and kiss her possessively.

"Calm down, Rome." Dean rolled his eyes. "We all know she's yours."

Alison agreed. "Everyone here is a friend, babe. You have to get used to the idea that men are going to look at me. I'm not going to start wearing a burqa whenever I leave the house just because you can't stand me showing more than my hands and feet."

"That's not it at all." Roman shook his head and led her over to one of the small tables where they could talk more privately while the others played around in the water. "I just don't want someone else getting ideas."

"What does it matter what kind of thoughts someone else has when I'm the one you're in a relationship with?" Smirking, Alison couldn't help but point out the double standard. "You're on television at least once a week, and I don't hold what women are thinking about you against you."

Roman snorted inelegantly. "You're forgetting that I'm a bad guy."

"You're forgetting that women **love **bad boys." Alison shook her head. "Remind me to show you tumblr sometime."

"What the hell is tumblr?"

"Wow, you're hopeless." Alison shook her head. "Look, I have to trust you out on the road, running around with the guys and being surrounded by sluts trying to trip you and hit the ground first. You're just going to have to learn to trust that I'm with you and have zero interest in anyone else."

Roman nodded. "I'll probably just start hanging with Seth more. He hardly goes out with the others because he's got a girl."

"Really? I didn't know that!"

"Yeah, Leighla's pretty cool. They've known each other forever." Roman frowned. "Are you gonna be able to pick up whenever I call?"

"Yeah, that's just not going to happen." Alison laughed at his scandalized expression. "Sorry, but I **do **have a life of my own! I won't purposely ignore you, but I have friends and family of my own to talk to, music to write and record, a house to put together, and day to day errands."

Reaching for his large hands with her much smaller fingers, she kissed the ridge of his knuckles. "I **will **promise to be your last call of the day, though, and to always be here if you need a soft place to land."

Pulling her into his lap, Roman kissed her softly. "I'll try to work on trusting that you only have good intentions, and to know that just because some asshole is looking at you doesn't mean you're looking back."

"Good," she nodded firmly and slid out of his grasp. "Now, let's go swim for a bit. I'll have to start on dinner in an hour."

"Want me to grill the meat?"

"If you think you can handle my kickass grill."

Scooping her up, Roman tossed her playfully into the deep end of the pool without answering. Diving in after her, he wrapped an arm around her waist and assisted her back to fresh air. When she surfaced, her laugh was so joyful that the others found themselves chuckling in response.

O:O:O:O:O:

Roman didn't get another day off the road until the next Tuesday evening after Smackdown tapings, and Alison's house had changed drastically in that week and a half. The dining room now featured a rectangular, heavy oak table and twelve equally lovely chairs. The library's built in shelves held a few books, though it was still largely bare. A giant flat screen television was mounted to the living room wall and an array of comfortable chairs and couches were positioned around the room. The kitchen had been better organized, a cabinet holding all the ingredients for baking had been designated over the tangerine orange stand mixer and the pantry was easily navigable. Every bedroom and bathroom held the basic supplies while linen cabinets were full and organized. The builders had arrived the day after he left, did a survey, and were now nearly finished building Alison's workout room and another, smaller room that would be outfitted as a music room.

Alison had added him to the Known Guest list at the front security building, so there was no need for them to call each time he came to visit. The gate combination had been given and memorized, and a clicker for the garage allowed him to pull in between her huge SUV and the smaller, covered car that seemed to live in the third bay. He relaxed back against the seat as he took a deep breath before hauling his bags out of the back and through the house as quietly as possible.

Roman knew he should have gone home, should have waited until the sun was up and called first, but he needed to see Alison and didn't want to wait. It had been a long, hard week. There was talk of having Dean either betray the other members of the Shield or to leave after a fight with one of them, and it had sent the blonde man into a fit of worry. Roman hated seeing his friend in such a state, but wasn't sure what he could do. Creative had told them just that evening that they would begin to argue amongst themselves over the next few months, and then officially break up in either January or February. They would all be losing their titles over the next few pay per views, and Roman wasn't sure how they were going to function as single, heel competitors.

Alison looked tiny in the massive, four poster bed with its dark wood and heavy curtains. She had repainted the walls a deep navy blue and the tray ceiling a brilliant white so that the whole room seemed to call him to sink into a comforting sleep. Roman smiled at the way her hair lay in an outrageous halo around her head and upper body, clad in a forest green chemise style gown. Stripping down to his boxer briefs, he slid in next to her and snaked an arm around her waist to pull her close.

"Big Man?" She stirred as she felt a warm weight fall across her torso.

Roman chuckled. "Yeah, Babygirl, it's me. Sorry for waking you."

"Time is it?" She rubbed at her eyes adorably.

He pressed a kiss to the crown of her head. "Almost 3AM. Go back to sleep."

Ignoring his order and climbing out of bed, Alison went to each corner of the bed, untying the curtains and sliding them on the bars so that they fell closed. Climbing back into the now impossibly dark space, she wiggled in next to him and curled into his chest. Leaning up, she kissed him lightly.

"Dark in here." He mumbled against her lips.

Alison nodded slightly. "And it'll stay dark even after the sun comes up later."

"Fuckin' A." He was so tired he didn't know what to do with himself, his mind jumping from worry for his friend to worry for himself. His body was tired, his mind was exhausted, but he just **couldn't fall asleep**.

Alison felt him shifting against her and opened a bleary eye. "What's wrong?"

"I shouldn't have come here tonight. No way in hell I'm gonna get any fuckin' sleep."

Shifting to lay on her pillows, she made herself comfortable on the soft mound. Then, she pulled at his shoulders until he was stretched out mostly next to her with a knee wedged between her thighs and his head nestled on her bosom. Running her fingers through his hair, she massaged his scalp and smiled as he sighed in appreciation.

"So tell me what's got you so tied in knots."

"Isn't it a little late for this?"

Alison kissed the top of his head. "Well, we're both awake."

Roman sighed and wrapped an arm around her waist. "Creative is talking about having Dean break away from the Shield."

"And how is that going over with everyone?"

"Seth and I hate it, and Dean's not dealing well at all."

Alison nodded. "I figured they would get around to that eventually."

"I just hate that it's **Dean**, and that there are already so many other heels. We're just gonna get lost in the mix."

Humming quietly, Alison got lost in thought for nearly half an hour before speaking. "I have an idea."

"What's that? I'm willing to give just about anything a shot if it means Dean's in an okay place and no one is getting buried."

"Everyone can see Dean betraying you two coming a mile away, what with his whole 'lunatic fringe' thing. It would be much more interesting and surprising if Seth were to do it." Alison shrugged. "And why not make yourselves into anti-heroes so that you have the crowd behind you whenever they decide to pull the trigger on breaking you guys apart?"

Pulling away from her, he smiled brightly before scrambling for his phone on the bedside table. Seth and Dean would still be on planes on their way home, as the former lived in Iowa and the latter hadn't yet moved from Vegas. Putting in a call to Seth, he quickly added Dean in for a conference call as Alison stretched out on her side to listen in. It took him less than five minutes to fill them in on her plan, and about thirty seconds for them to agree.

"But, how do we do it?" Seth yawned deeply. "It's not like we can just go against Creative."

Alison frowned. "Can anyone?"

"Kane, maybe, and Cena." Dean chuckled. "Those two can do almost anything."

Roman chuckled. "Triple H and Stephanie can go against Vince if they're willing to go to bat for it."

"So, we stick together. We'll get a meeting with Trips and Steph and lay out our ideas." Seth sounded confident, and it obviously helped the others remain calm.

They all decided that this would be the best course of action before hanging up.

Kissing Alison deeply, Roman pushed her back on the pillows. "Thank you, _Iti'iti Pele_."

"Hey, queen protects her king." Urging him back down to his former position, she once again began petting his hair, shoulders, and along his spine. "Go to sleep, baby. You've had a long week."

Roman chuckled. "Yeah, no shit."

Alison's soft singing soon lulled him to sleep, and she smiled at his curiously soft snores.


	11. Daily Life

Roman took a calming breath as he and his stable mates stepped into Stephanie and Hunter's temporary office set up in a back room of the US Airways Center in Phoenix. Seth had called the afternoon after their early morning phone conversation to set up a meeting time, and it had been decided that they would meet a few hours before the next Raw taping. Dean was fighting to keep himself calm, but his right hand would unconsciously rub at his collarbone and he shifted his weight from side to side as they waited for Steph to finish her telephone call.

"Hello, gentlemen." Hunter shook their hands before focusing in Roman. "I take it that everything turned out well for you."

He nodded sheepishly. "As long as I don't screw things up again. Thank you."

Hunter chuckled. "Yeah, I've been there. I find less alcohol means less apologizing."

"Gentlemen," Stephanie had hung up and stepped around the small desk to shake their hands. "How are you this afternoon?"

After exchanging pleasantries, they all settled down to discuss their ideas for the changes in the storyline. Stephanie smiled as Dean explained that he was unhappy with the idea that he be the one to leave the group. Hunter agreed with Seth on the idea of him being responsible for the breakup of the Shield, as he enjoyed the possibility of the WWE universe being shocked and surprised. They were both hesitant to discuss the group becoming less hated before breaking up, since that was still largely controlled by Vince McMahon, and they had to tread lightly in his territory.

"The problem with turning the group into faces is that there are already a lot of very over superstars right now." Hunter sighed. "Punk has the alternative market cornered, and Bryan's got everyone who isn't into Cena covered. Batista will be back in a few months for a little while."

Keeping their thoughts about that little bit of information to themselves, the three men nodded.

Dean frowned. "But what about Seth turning on us?"

"**That **I can agree with wholeheartedly." Stephanie smiled. "It's going to be at least until the Rumble, though we need to have you showing cracks here and there leading up to January. After that, we'll have some more concrete ideas of what to expect."

Thanking them for their time and for listening to their concerns, the members of the Shield left the office and frowned at each other.

"Well," Seth sighed. "At least it's on me and not Dean."

Dean nodded before biting his lip and quirking a grin at his friend. "Thanks, man."

"Don't even worry about it, man." Seth chuckled. "I like throwing a curve ball every now and then."

That night, the members of the Shield beat Daniel Bryan down in a series of matches known as a gauntlet while the rest of the roster was forced to stand at the top of the ramp and watch. Seth was able to showcase some moves, though the other two were relegated to a few minutes apiece. While none of them particularly hated being a heel, they all felt as if they were being severely restricted in their current roles of enforcers for Triple H and Stephanie's Authority.

As Roman sat waiting on Dean and Seth to shower and dress, he began to read through his twitter feed. There was a notification that he had been tagged in nearly 300 tweets, and he grinned. Being on television usually brought up the number of times he was mentioned.

_Tuned in to watch WWE #Raw to see what the big deal is about WWERomanReigns. Niiiiiiiiiiiiiice!_

_I wonder if AliRally will be on WWE sometime if things with WWERomanReigns get serious?!_

_Can AliRally be on #Raw soon? She's GOTTA be better than Eva Marie, right?!_

Perez soon added his own input. _Those Shield boys are more attractive than the rest of the roster combined._

Roman shook his head at the last tweet. He still wasn't clear on how Alison had become friends with the blogger. He just seemed to be the opposite of what she would be interested in when it came to choosing a friend. Frowning in thought, Roman used the internet on his phone to search their names. When thousands of pictures and links appeared, he growled and closed the window. He would just have to ask Seth about it later.

Opening his contacts, he sent a text to Alison. _Waiting for the others to finish getting dressed. I think we're just gonna grab some food and then head to the hotel._

Her response was immediate. _Call me when you're done eating?_

_Of course. _Roman chuckled. _That was fast._

Alison giggled and sipped her iced tea. _After the show went off, I decided to go for a swim. I'm sitting here by the pool._

_Sounds nice. _Roman could admit to himself that he was a bit jealous. _Wish I could be there._

A picture appeared in the chat log, the angle telling him that she'd simply held out the phone and snapped a picture of her smiling face and wet hair. He could see that she was wearing the black two piece. _You've already seen this one._

_I'd like to see it off._

Alison laughed and, feeling a little naughty, got an idea. _Are you rooming with the guys tonight?_

_We've got a suite, so I get my own room._

Happy that they were texting and not speaking, Alison did a little dance. _At least you won't have to deal with Dean's snoring. Side note: I think I want to get some Chinese lanterns for out by the pool. It's pretty dark out here at night._

Seth and Dean entered the room, and Roman let Alison know he would have to go. Telling him to Facetime her when he was finished eating, she said goodbye and quickly cleaned up around the pool. She put the vacuum in the pool and then made sure the doors and windows were locked and the alarm engaged before sprinting up the stairs to her room. She had a surprise planned for her sultry Samoan, but would need some time to get ready.

Roman swallowed a bite of lemon grilled chicken and asked Seth a question that had bothered him for days. "What the hell is Tumblr?"

"It's a microblogging site. I've shown you some stuff on it before."

Roman frowned for a few seconds before he remembered that Seth had shown him some funny things on the site a few weeks before. "Oh, yeah.'

Dean paused his eating to look at his friends. "Why?"

"Alison said she should show me Tumblr because we're on there a lot."

Dean snorted. "Yeah, people just hate what we're doing."

"Yeah, that's not what she was saying."

Seth shrugged before he opened his laptop and positioned it on the bed so they could all see the screen. The site loaded quickly, and Seth typed "Roman Reigns" into the search field. Thousands of pictures filled the page, some with little captions, and there were comments and conversations going on below each one. There were entire blogs dedicated to him. A search of Seth's name brought similar results. Dean's resulted in numerous pictures from his Jon Moxley days and others with references to him being "The Titty Master", which made him laugh even if they had no idea what it was all about. Many of Dean's older promos had been turned into gif sets, which made him laugh.

Shutting down the computer with a chuckle, they finished eating. Roman threw his trash away and then retrieved his phone to text Alison. _Just checked out Tumblr. That place is fuckin weird._

_Lol! Told you that women love you guys. _Alison giggled and rushed to finish what she was doing. _Done eating?_

Bidding his friends goodnight, Roman shut his bedroom door and settled into bed. _I'm good when you are._

Alison took a deep breath and let it out slowly before propping up her iPad and sending the request. When Roman's face appeared, she hit the button on the iPod dock she's set up earlier. Plastering her sexiest smirk on her impossibly red lips, she walked with exaggerated slowness to the center of her bedroom, swinging her hips like a pendulum as she moved.

"Hello?" Roman blinked at the empty room on his screen before Janet Jackson's "Any Time, Any Place" began to play. When Alison appeared on the screen, most of his blood rushed south and he gave a pleased rumble of appreciation.

Her hair was piled on top of her head with tendrils trailed along her shoulders and framing her face. Deep red lips and black lined eyes made her look sultry and slightly dangerous. The bustier and panties she wore were black lace, the stockings and garters matched. Her stilettoes were patent leather with blood red soles that matched the satin bows that adorned the tops of the thigh highs just under the curves of her cheeks. Long satin gloves covered to her elbows.

As he watched, entranced, she grasped the fingertips of her left glove and slid it silkily off her arm. Her hips kept time with the beat of the song as she slid the second glove off. Dropping it, she turned her back to the camera, unzipped the back of her top, and winked at him over her shoulder as she dropped the bit of lace. Reaching into her hair, she removed the three pins holding the curls tenuously in place, loving Roman's gasp as they tumbled down around her body.

Spinning suddenly, she twined her hands high over her head. Twisting her hips, she lowered to the floor with her knees held tightly together. Thrusting her knees apart, she licked at her bottom lip and stared at him seductively as she straightened.

"Oh, fuck." Roman's groan floated from the screen. "Jesus Christ, Babygirl!"

She slid her panties down glad she had remembered to put them on over the garter belt so she could leave everything else on. She was reaching to unhook the stockings when Roman's voice stopped her.

"No! Leave those on, _Iti'iti Pele_."

Alison looked up and smiled when she saw that he had propped his tablet on the bed beside him and freed his hard length from his jeans. Picking up her own tablet, she climbed onto her bed and propped it up so that Roman could see her face and breasts. Sliding her right hand to her wet center, she began stroking herself softly.

"Mmm, _Pele_." His voice growled through the speaker beside her. "Move the camera to the bottom of the bed. I wanna see what you're doing to yourself."

Following his commands, she was soon lying on her back with her fingers sliding over her most sensitive flesh. Roman's groans as he watched her pleasure herself fueled her desire. She came moaning his name within minutes, and he shot his hot load soon after.

"Holy shit, Babygirl." Roman chuckled and then grinned widely at her image in his monitor. "What the hell brought that on?"

"Did you like it?"

"Hell yeah, I **loved **it."

Giggling, Alison slid the heels off and pulled one of his discarded shirts over her head. "I've never done anything like that before."

"Well, you're damn good at it."

"Thanks. I watched **a lot **of videos while I was getting ready. I didn't want to disappoint."

Chuckling, Roman rolled his eyes and cleaned himself up. Like it was possible for her to disappoint him? "I don't think it's possible for you to disappoint me, especially if it includes you getting naked."

"So, what happened with the meeting today?" Alison stretched lazily.

Roman explained what had transpired with Stephanie and Hunter, detailing what they knew of the plans. When she was up to speed, he stripped his shirt off and pulled on a pair of sweats as he asked her about her day.

"Well, I put out a call to all my sisters-in-law to invite them to the new house for Thanksgiving, and let my mom know that I can send a truck for my things whenever she's ready. I'm thinking of buying a boat. Oh, and Ronnie and I will totally be at Night of Champions."

Blinking at the screen, he slowly filtered through all the information. "That's awesome! It sounds like you all haven't gotten together as a family in a while now. You and Ronnie should totally come and hang out with us before the show."

"Well, I was hoping that would be the plan!" Alison giggled at his obvious excitement. "Do you have press to do before that?"

"Nah, not before that one. We just hit the gym to get limber and then eat and maybe go over the match with each other." He raised an eyebrow. "And you're getting a boat?"

"Well, I have that huge boat house and the lift. I'm going to go look tomorrow. Irish and Hawk are going to go with me."

That got his attention and Roman sat up in his bed, frowning at the screen. "Why? Is it a bad area?"

"What? Oh, no, nothing like that." Alison giggled. "Hawk was basically raised on boats, and Irish wants to look over the engines."

"So they're just going along to make sure the boats are worth your time and money."

Alison giggled. "Yeah, like some girls ask guys to look over a car."

They discussed the different possibilities of her staying with him on the road after the pay per view for a few days before saying goodnight. Alison finished taking off her stockings and garters, slipping into bed surrounded by the manly smell of her boyfriend. Roman smiled as he thought about the amazing redhead who had helped him and his friends, and who cared deeply for her family, and who had been willing to give him a second chance after his colossal screw up. . . The woman who was sleeping all alone is a huge house while he was nearly two thousand miles away.

Hearing Seth and Dean talking quietly out in the main room, Roman snagged his own laptop and strode through the door with purpose. "Hey, you guys got a minute?"

O:O:O:O:O:

The next morning dawned warm and bright. The sun glinted off the sand like a million diamonds as Alison prepared a quick breakfast and then dressed for boat shopping. A deep blue sundress patterned in a simple Hawaiian style was paired with sturdy sandals. Braiding her hair down her back, she applied some light makeup and grabbed her purse. Slipping her sunglasses on, she sent a quick good morning text to Roman before deciding that she wanted to take her other car for a spin.

The special dust cover slid off the Pontiac GTO easily, its deep blue paint shining in the lights of the garage. Her grandfather had bought it in September of 1966, which is when the next year's new model was released. It passed to her father and then to her when it became clear that her brothers were all interested in military careers, and that she was the most interested in giving it the care it would need. Now, Alison saw it as a bit of a guilty pleasure to drop it into gear and open her up on the highway. She loved the feeling of being in control of so much power.

Pulling out into the sun and snapping a picture of the gleaming machine, she uploaded it to Twitter with the following caption: _Taking my baby out for a spin. American muscle is best muscle_.

Seth whistled as he looked over the picture that arrived in his Twitter feed. Looking over at his breakfast companions, he handed his phone to Roman. "Check out what your girl's been hiding!"

"Holy shit, dude!" Dean had leaned over to see the screen, and snatched the phone from his friend. "That's an original GTO!"

Punk, who had joined them for a trip to the gym and breakfast afterward, snorted. "How the hell do **you **know that?!"

"Fuck you, I know shit." Dean shrugged. "I couldn't afford shit when I was young, but the library was free. They got muscle car magazines for the old guys."

Seth retrieved his phone and looked over the picture one more time. "That is a beautiful car."

Alison rolled her window down and let the warm summer air play with the few curls that worked their way out of her braid. She had never felt comfortable playing anything other than rock while driving this car and so she ran through the stations until Bruce Springsteen rang through the speakers. She sang along with the music, a classic tune about getting away from a losing situation and chasing what makes you happy.

Buffalo and Hawk had found a lovely apartment in Pensacola, and Alison stopped to pick up Hawk before swinging around for Irish and Ronnie. Hawk, being the newest man on her team, had never seen her car before. Letting him have a moment to look the machine over, Alison had Irish take a picture of her and Ronnie in front of the driver's door.

_Three sexy bitches! _This was uploaded to Twitter as well.

Thousands of miles away from where Alison was preparing for a fun morning, Cesaro chuckled at his phone and then passed it around the still bustling dining room. "Check out Roman's girlfriend!"

"Get a load of those legs!" Dolph grinned cheekily at his friend. "You are one lucky son of a bitch."

Roman glowered dangerously at the men taking turns looking over the innocent picture his girlfriend had uploaded. If his friends were thinking and saying these things, what were random complete strangers doing with it? Remembering what they had spoken about, he told himself that what these other people were saying or thinking didn't matter, and that Alison wasn't at fault for just being a girl.

"Yeah, my girl is fuckin' awesome." Giving an evil smirk, he met many of their gazes. "You all just remember that she's mine."

Alison's trip to the boat dealership took an hour, and they were led inside by a man with suspiciously black hair and a practiced, warm smile. He had introduced himself as Devion, which left both Hawk and Irish smirking and shaking their heads as they followed Alison and Ronnie through the air conditioned offices and out to the long docks that functioned as a showroom. There were quite a few different models from a number of builders in the deep water docks, and they spent a few minutes discussing what features were important, and what could be dismissed.

While Alison wanted a model that could be slept in if desired, she wasn't in the market for anything with a stateroom or full sized kitchen appliances. She wanted a boat that would allow for wake boarding or tubing, but featured room for people to stretch out. Radars and sonars were the industry standard for any of the boats present at this particular dealership. Alison and Ronnie began looking over the suggested models, the men trailing behind the women until something caught the attention of the redhead and her brunette friend.

Ronnie was beginning to plod along, unhappy with the amount of time this task was taking, until Alison gave a shout from in front of a Cobalt A series. Irish and Hawk climbed aboard and then assisted the girls so they could look around. Devion sent his assistant back to retrieve the keys before following them.

The boat was amazing. There were places on the bow for people to stretch out in the sun, a captain's seat with all the latest in navigation and sonar, and a small galley with a grill upstairs. Another, slightly more detailed, galley sat below deck with an area for viewing a small flatscreen television. A small bathroom with a toilet and fresh water shower as well as two small lounge areas that featured couches which could be converted into beds below the bow and aft portions of the vessel.

"How do the engines look?" Alison leaned down into the compartment to speak with Hawk.

"Powerful as shit, but easy enough to get to. Everything is well built and put together good."

Devion waved his assistant on board. "Would you like to take it out on the water?"

Alison allowed him to guide the vessel out away from the docks before she took over. The throttle was a little more complicated than the smaller crafts she was used to, but she soon got the gist of it. Bringing it out onto the open gulf waters, she was able to really open it up to see how it would handle. She skipped over the small waves easily and listened as Devion discussed the finer points of the fold down step in the back for swimming or as a launch station for wakeboarding. Slowing to a stop, Alison took a moment to breath in the calm breeze.

Ronnie came to stand next to her while slipping her phone back into her pocket. "Just sent you some pics."

"Any of me driving?"

Ronnie smirked. "A few."

Scanning through her phone, Alison picked out the best one of her at the wheel. Uploading it to Twitter, she captioned it with _Test driving a new toy. _

Devion pointed out the different radars and sonars, giving her a small lesson in how everything worked. Alison caught on quickly and began to use the tools to help her navigate. She didn't find it at all difficult, and thought that she would have no problem using anything at the helm once she got a minimum amount of real practice. She even piloted it back into its space at the dock without incident.

"Would you like to try any of our other fine vessels?" Devion smiled as he spoke.

Alison grinned. "No, thank you. I think I'd like this model, though a different color combination."

"I'm glad to hear it! Please, step right this way."

An hour later, Alison was sliding behind the wheel of her GTO once again. After a brief conversation with the Chief Operating Officer of Cobalt Boats himself, it was decided that Alison would be paying for the cost of the parts and labor on her boat and nothing more, since the publicity of a famous musician owning something amounted to free advertising. Her new boat was scheduled for delivery that Friday, barring any complications. Deciding to get some lunch and then do a little shopping, they all piled into the car and went in search of food.

As Hawk, Irish, and Ronnie were all huge fans of sushi, they ended up at a Japanese fusion restaurant. Alison ordered steak, though she also had a small helping of raw salmon. She snapped a picture of her choices and sent it off to Roman directly, accusing him of being a terrible influence on her. They ate quietly, enjoying the good food and peaceful atmosphere, before the owner arrived to thank them for choosing his establishment.

Later that afternoon, Alison and Ronnie were having fun with their shopping before a group of five teens spotted them coming out of a boutique. Hawk and Irish maintained a small distance so the kids could talk with Alison and take pictures. One of the girls asked if she was really dating Roman Reigns, and Alison winked at her.

"I don't discuss my personal life." Smiling, she wrapped her arms around the two girls as giggle conspiratorially and posed for the camera.

One of the girls had her hair dyed a combination of greens and blues, her tousled waves making it seem like water. She had taken one of Alison's tour shirts and altered it into a tank top with corset lacing down the sides. The skirt she wore was made up of layers of black, green, and blue lace and netting, giving her the appearance of a mermaid.

Alison pointed at the girl's skirt. "I **love **that skirt!"

"Yeah? I made it!" She giggled nervously. "I make all sorts of skirts and stuff."

The second girl nudged her friend. "Tell her about your etsy store!"

Whipping out her phone, Alison took down the girls' etsy info as well as their real names. She loved supporting independent crafters, and these two were a lot of fun. The less outlandishly dressed friend, she had discovered, liked to do needlepoint pillows and flowing cotton skirts.

Waving goodbye to the group before they could draw a crowd, she let Ronnie guide her into another shop full of shoes.

O:O:O:O:O:

Roman was riding shotgun as Seth drove from Phoenix to Las Vegas while Dean was stretched out in the back seat, speaking with someone on the phone about renting a moving truck. Even if he didn't have a lot to move, he **did **own a decent bed and an overstuffed couch to go along with his flatscreen. No one seemed interested in moving his things all the way from Vegas to Florida. He tossed his phone into his bag and muttered darkly to himself.

"Hey, man," Seth called back from his spot behind the wheel. "Why not call Ali and see if she has any ideas? I mean, she's been through moving a lot more often than anyone else we know."

Grabbing his phone, he dialed her number and put the ringing device on speaker while Roman turned off the radio.

"Hey, Dean!" Her voice was happy and laughing, though they could hear other voices in the background. "What's up?"

Three different voices called a greeting before Dean asked if she were busy.

"Hey, Big Man and Seth!" Alison giggled. "Nah, we're just driving back from shopping, so you're on speaker."

"So, I've found an apartment in Pensacola, but no one in Vegas wants to move my shit on days that I can be around. Got any ideas?"

"Well, Ronnie and I will make some calls and see what we can do. If you can be there to put things in the truck, then I'll move it into your apartment here."

Dean chuckled. "You'd do that?"

Alison shrugged as she spoke. "I'm sort of on an extended vacation right now. I'll be recording some songs in the next few weeks, but it's not as if I'm doing shows and interviews."

"You are so fuckin' awesome right now."

Laughing, Alison got his address as well as the days he was be available for pick up. "You know, this is actually one of the few things I know more about than Ronnie!"

Telling Roman to call her that night after the show, Alison said her goodbyes and went back to driving.

Seth grinned over at his friend. "So, when are you gonna tell Ali you're getting her a puppy?"


	12. Incidents On and Off A Country Road

**A bit of a warning for this one: There are two paragraphs toward the end that may be a trigger. Nothing too graphic, but I wanted to put a warning here because I love my little readers.**

Roman kicked off his shoes, flopped down on his bed, and dialed Alison's cell as soon as he was finished with his post-match meal, smiling when she answered on the second ring. "Hey, Babygirl."

"Hey, Big Man." Grinning, she used the long tongs in her hand to flip the chicken she had put on the grill for dinner. "How'd things go?"

"Real good. Me and Seth had a great match with Jimmy and Jey." Hearing a familiar scraping sound, he frowned. "Are you just now getting dinner?"

Alison sat the plate she had just retrieved from the cabinet down on the table beside the grill. "We about OD'd on caffeine and sugar this afternoon, and I couldn't deal with real food until now."

"You're going to be up all night again." He frowned in concern, forcing himself not to try to order her to go to bed.

Alison nodded, completely unconcerned and at ease with the way her sleep cycle works. "Yeah, I probably will. But, I have a few songs floating around in my head anyway, so I've at least got something to work on while I bop around in the night."

Smirking, he was sure his sarcasm showed through. "Well, wouldn't want something like sleep to get in the way."

Ignoring his tone, Alison laughed. "Oh, that's usually not a problem."

"It is when **I'm **there." He purposely pitched his voice to be low and growling.

Alison nearly dropped her tongs and had to scramble to keep them from hitting the ground. "Oh, that is **so **not fair."

He chuckled at her response. "Anything else exciting happen today?"

"My manager called. I guess there's a pretty big fan of mine who's stuck in a cancer ward here. I told him to set it up so I could stop in on Friday afternoon."

"Aren't you getting your boat on Friday?"

"That appointment is for 11:00, and the hospital won't let me come until 3:00."

"Just don't run yourself into the ground, Babygirl. You're supposed to be taking a break." He chuckled softly and focused on what he really wanted to talk to her about. "So. . . How do you like the new house now that you've had some time to get used to it?"

Sliding the chicken onto her plate, she scooped some potato salad out of a deli container to go along with it. "I love it! It's big, and airy, and absolutely mine."

"Do you ever feel a little alone there? Like it's too big for just you?"

Pausing mid-bite, Alison frowned. "Where are you going with this, Big Man?"

"I was thinking that you should let me buy you a puppy."

"Oh," Alison giggled in relief. "Thought you were gonna ask to move in."

"Yeah, I don't think we're there yet." Roman chuckled.

"That's what **I **was gonna say!" She chewed slowly before she answered. "Well, a puppy could be something really cool. I've always wanted a dog of my own."

Roman nodded to himself. "We could get something that would be able to go on runs with you every day, and keep you company at night."

Rolling her eyes, Alison snorted. "And I'm absolutely positive that a great big thing with nice, sharp teeth would be way better company than a little lapdog. Right?"

"See? I knew we'd agree!"

Alison smiled. "Trying to protect me, Big Man?"

"Always, _Pele_." His voice rumbled possessively. "But, Seth said I should talk to you before just buying one."

"Well, Seth was right! A puppy is a lot more of a responsibility than something little like a house plant. I mean, they are living, breathing things!" Alison sighed. "I'll have to line up a trainer and classes so I don't screw it up."

Roman grinned and opened the set of bookmarks he had saved to his laptop while talking things over with his friends the night before. "So, I was thinking that we could go to a rescue."

"Definitely. I wouldn't want to go to a breeder or a puppy farm." Alison shuddered as the skin along her spine crawled. "Snooty bitches and/or horrible living conditions? No, thank you!"

"There are a few rescues for bigger dogs in northern Florida and Alabama that I thought we could visit."

Finished with her dinner, Alison retrieved her own laptop and booted it up. "Okay, I've got my computer open. Let's see what these places have, and then decide from there."

"It's not like we can't visit a few of them and see if you get along with a certain puppy better than others."

"Right. And it's not like looking for a puppy has to be a stressful thing, especially since I don't absolutely **need **one."

"Exactly. And you get to spend a day driving around with me and playing with puppies."

"And who **doesn't **like to play with puppies?!"

Bringing up a blank document, Alison began taking notes on what she was going to need. They would need a fence at the back of the house with a gate and a lock. They would have to do something to make the fence impossible to dig under all the way around. She wanted to find a good trainer to come in a few times a week to show her what she needed to do and to teach the puppy. She was pretty sure they would need to find other puppies for it to play with from time to time. And she would have to get a crate for when she had to leave it at home, while arrangements would be necessary for future tours.

They looked at websites for the next two hours, discussing what would work for her (brushing a few times a week was fine, but bathing every two days just wasn't happening) and what qualities Roman would like. He wanted her to have a guard dog that would protect her against assailants and the house against burglars. She wanted a dog that would be at least okay around children, and one that was trainable. They both agreed that she wasn't experienced enough to rehab a mistreated grown dog, and would need a puppy.

When they said their goodnights, they had narrowed things down to four or five breeds. Roman had the names and phone numbers for six rescues within fifty miles of Pensacola, and would call them the next morning to see what they had and to set up appointments. Alison confirmed that she would be at Dean's new apartment, just three doors down from Roman's, all day Thursday to make sure everything got moved in correctly.

By the time she had gotten the songs in her head down on paper, Alison went to sleep with a smile on her face, excited about the new addition to her family.

O:O:O:O:O:

"This could be a really nice apartment," Ronnie smiled as she looked around Dean's new place.

"Yeah, it could," Alison nodded in agreement with her friend and assistant. "With a good dusting and some real furniture."

"Didn't they clean this place before renting it out?" Hawk wrinkled his nose at the dust motes floating through the late summer sun.

The apartment was pretty bare, with hardwood floors and two bedrooms. The walls were a nice color that was a neutral mix of grey and beige. The baseboards and moldings were white. Alison had already decided to purchase him a few area rugs as a housewarming gift, but quickly amended the list to include a stackable washer and dryer set when she saw that there was a hookup in the bathroom.

Alison went to the window to the right of the front door. "Let's get some air in here and get to work."

The truck arrived just after noon, and the wrestler's few possessions were unloaded within an hour. He had a decent sleigh bed in a dark cherry finish that Irish and Buffalo had set up in the larger bedroom while his simple couch and coffee table set were placed in front of his television in the living room. He hadn't bothered to pack up and ship any dishes, and there were no towels or extra bed linens. There were a few boxes of pictures and merchandise from his indy days, which they simply left in the empty room.

"Oh, this will just not do." Alison shook her head and then looked at Ronnie. They had brought some towels and curtains along with their cleaning supplies, as they knew Dean wouldn't be sending any, but he didn't even have a dresser or hangers for the closet!

"I'll start getting things in order here. You guys hit Bed Bath & Beyond for all the shit he needs." Alison took a moment to text Dean to let him know that they were getting him all moved in so he didn't have to worry about it when he got into town that weekend before sweeping the floor and wiping down the kitchen counters.

_Shit Red. Didn't have to do that._

Alison smiled. _Got nothing else to do today._

Two hours later, Hawk was lugging the small dryer through the door while Irish followed with the washer. Ronnie carried bags on each arm while Buffalo toted several boxes of dishes and basic kitchenware. Alison spent some time organizing the bathroom and arranging the kitchen while Ronnie put clean linens on the bed before she scrubbed out the refrigerator. The men avoided cleaning by getting the washer and dryer hooked up and running.

"Dude's gonna think he's in the wrong place." Irish smirked from where they were sharing a pizza at the new kitchen table.

"I think it looks nice!" Alison cast a critical eye over the apartment and found it tastefully masculine.

Buffalo stopped his pacing and fingered the living room curtains. "At least we found things that don't look girly as hell."

"A guy wouldn't be buying little pillows for a couch, though." Hawk chuckled. "That's a chick thing."

Alison sipped her beer and laughed. "But look how nice and comfy it is with them!"

Ronnie nodded in agreement. "And there's no way you can say that one thin ass pillow he had shoved in a box is as comfortable as a mound of cotton and feathers."

"Well, at least you didn't get any of that decorative bullshit," Irish snorted. "I hate that shit."

The thought of Dean, scruffy faced and hair tousled into his eyes, flopping down onto a mound of flowered and ruffled pillows and shams had the women laughing until tears leaked from their eyes. Forcing themselves to calm down, they finished eating while discussing the possibility of Alison getting a puppy. The men were all in favor of the move, and Ronnie simply stated that it didn't matter to her one way or another as they took out the garbage and locked the door behind them.

The next morning dawned humid and hazy, the water of the gulf calm against the sides of her new boat as it came to a stop at the end of her dock. Alison was there to take delivery, signing on all the appropriate lines and shaking hands. There were a few photos taken for the builder, and she couldn't resist taking it out on the water for an hour before she had to go get ready for her hospital visit.

Alison had showered and finger-combed her hair with the gel that allowed the curls to remain soft and smooth. Standing in the middle of the closet, she frowned to herself. What was she supposed to wear to this sort of thing? Deciding that a fan would want to see her in clothes that most others would never witness, she donned an apron dress made up of a patchwork in a bright array of colors. Simple sandals finished the look, and she left her hair to do what it wanted.

Having amassed posters and shirts from the tour, Alison made sure she had some fabric markers before climbing into her Benz. Stomping on the brake, she threw the SUV into park and ran back into the house. Selecting an acoustic guitar, she smiled and hopped back into the truck after tucking it into the backseat.

Sacred Heart Medical Oncology Center was a five story, glass and cement example of industrial art. Alison thought is looked sterile and cold from street level, but decided looks didn't matter as long as the people inside were helped. The hospital director met her in the employee's parking lot and showed her where to pull in.

The woman who introduced herself as Diana Shaffer was tall with wide shoulders and a thin waist, both accentuated by the deep blue suit jacket she wore. Her black skirt fit just snug enough to be professionally flirtatious and reached to her knees. Black low-heeled pumps completed the look. Her hair was a deep mahogany bob with hints of gray just beginning to show along her temples.

"I'll take you to the fifth floor."

Alison snatched the large canvas bag with her gifts from the back seat and slung her guitar strap over her shoulder. "And there's no news crew or anything, right?"

Diana shook her head. "The only cameras are the ones belonging to Morrigan's family."

"Okay, good. I'm doing this for her and nothing else."

The older woman nodded in agreement. "We appreciate it very much."

Alison was instructed to wash her hands and arms in a thick, green liquid gel. The girl she was about to see was very ill, and outside germs could have a very negative impact. Diana knocked softly on the door when Alison was done drying her hands on the sterile towel a nurse held for her.

The woman who greeted them at the door was nearly as short as Alison, with spiky black hair and a beautiful smile. "Hello, you must be Miss Hedland."

"Please, call me Alison." Knowing they shouldn't shake hands, she simply smiled in return.

"Well, Alison, my name is Brigid. Thank you for coming to see my daughter." Gesturing toward the girl in the bed, she gave a watery smile. "This is Morrigan."

The girl sitting with a sketchbook in her lap should have been beautiful. Her long dark hair was thinning so that her scalp was clearly visible in large patches. Her lips were chapped, and her cheekbones threw shadows across the hollows under them. The bags under her eyes could have hauled every bit of Alison's tour gear.

It was only her intensely blue eyes that shown with life. Alison felt herself fall into the younger girl's ocean eyes, and could not stop the smile that wound its way over her face. Those eyes said that their possessor was a warrior and that she was prepared to fight whether the doctors and tests said she had a chance or not.

Alison loved her immediately. "Hello, Morrigan. You have a very awesome name."

"Oh, my God!" She tried to sit up further, but Alison was quick to move to the chair next to her bed. "Mom said you were coming, but I didn't really believe it."

"Hey, when a Hedland says they're gonna do something it's as good as done!"

Morrigan laughed softly and nodded before Alison offered her the bag she had brought from home. "Is this for me? Seriously?!"

"Seriously!" Alison laughed as she watched Morrigan take the posters from the bag.

Brigid took the three pictures and taped them to the bare, hospital green wall.

"Holy crap!" She held up the seven shirts one at a time. "These are so cool!"

Alison helped her out of the pajama shirt and into one of the smaller shirts she had brought. It fit the sixteen year old like she was eight, and Alison fought down a choking sob in order to smile brightly. Brigid squeezed her wrist as she scooped up the other clothes in order to put them on the shelf, her eyes letting Alison know that she understood the feeling. Soon after, Brigid and the nurses took a few photos before excusing themselves from the room.

"So," Morrigan smiled slyly. "Are you really dating Roman Reigns?"

Alison snorted and rolled her eyes. "I'm not answering that."

"Oh, come on! It's not like this is an interview or something! Please?" She poked her lip out and almost looked like any normal, healthy girl. "I won't tell anyone."

"Pinky swear?"

Morrigan giggled and held out her little finger.

Alison hooked her pinky with the younger girl and leaned forward to kiss her own thumb, giggling as her companion did the same. Unable to resist giving the girl something that friends share daily, Alison bit her lip and nodded shyly. "Yeah, I'm seeing him."

"**Seriously?!" **Morrigan gasped and laughed loudly. "That is one fine, fine, man."

"I know! He's pretty great." Alison knew she was blushing, but it was so nice to be able to talk about her relationship with someone other than either Ronnie or her mother. "And he can be very sweet, too."

"Nu-uh! He looks so scary on TV!"

Alison grinned. "He's only scary when he's at work or angry. When he smiles? Nothing but adorable."

"That's just so hard to believe!"

Knowing she would win him major points for this, Alison leaned forward and stage whispered conspiratorially. "He's buying me a puppy!"

Morrigan's eyes grew wide. "Holy shit!"

Alison gave a shocked bark of laughter. "True story."

For the next hour, they talked about music as Alison played her some acoustic versions of her favorite songs, and about boys. Morrigan told her about the boy who came to see her three times a week and Alison assured her it was because he really liked her. The younger girl asked her how serious she was with Roman, and Alison was forced to admit that she could see herself with him for a long time.

Alison talked about her tattoos and how she had always wanted a full sleeve, but couldn't find anything feminine enough. Morrigan laughed and showed her some pictures of a sleeve she had been working on, full of book and music references. Alison nearly cried again when she spotted the splotchy, not-quite-calligraphic letter "A" that she used as her insignia among the symbols.

Dinner time was at 6:00, and Alison decided it was time for her to leave. Before hugging Morrigan tightly, she wrote down her number and gave instructions to call anytime.

"Now, you need to fight this bullshit, girly." Cupping frail cheeks in her hands, Alison held her gaze. "You get better, and we'll go get those tattoos together."

"Really?"

Alison grinned. "As long as your mom will sign the papers saying it's cool."

"I'll sign them, baby. Don't you worry." Brigid nodded from where she was organizing a tray of White Castle burgers, which was the only thing her daughter felt like eating since they started this round of radiation.

"See? She'll sign, I'll pay, and we go together." Alison smirked. "Deal?"

"Deal!"

Wishing everyone a good evening, Alison slipped from the room and then into the first open elevator. No one attempted to stop her as she made her way to the SUV and placed her guitar in the back. Climbing behind the wheel, she locked the doors and promptly began to sob.

Leaning forward, she rested her head on the steering wheel and gave great shuddering gasps. Tears streamed down her cheeks and dripped from her pointed chin. She knew that Morrigan had a chance of surviving, though it was very small. Sniffling, she fought to get control of herself before placing a phone call, and then frowned as she listened to the four rings and then the voicemail prompt.

"Hey, Big Man. Grabbing dinner before your flight? Just finished meeting with Morrigan at the hospital. Think I'll go for a drive to clear my head for a bit. Give me a call when you can. I'll see you either later tonight or tomorrow. Bye."

Hanging up, she stopped at a locally owned coffee shop for a latte and muffin before picking a random exit off the highway. Turning off her GPS, she cranked the stereo and began singing along to Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody". Another turn had her driving vaguely north as she let the pain and uncertainty wash away in the wind whipping through the open windows.

An hour later, Roman placed his chopsticks across his plate in the known sign of being finished and pulled his phone from his pocket to check the time. Seeing that they had to be at the airport in half an hour to get through security, he let Seth and Dean know before listening to the voicemail waiting for him. Frowning at the sound of her voice, he dialed her number and had to leave a message in return when she failed to answer.

"Hey, Babygirl. You okay? You can call me whenever you get this, fuck the plane bullshit. I was gonna head home tonight and see you in the morning, but let me know if you want me at your place as soon as possible. Talk to you later."

While Roman, Dean, and Seth were boarding a plane bound for Pensacola, Alison was circling through a beautiful state park. Two hours later, she decided that it was time to start heading back toward home. She was feeling much better, and it was growing quite dark. The sun had set not long after she left the city proper, and now her headlight cut through the darkness. Her black beast of an SUV was the only vehicle on the lonely stretch of asphalt as she pulled into a small gas station somewhere north of the Alabama line and filled her half empty tank.

"Evenin'," the old man behind the counter nodded politely. "You need directions, miss?"

Alison smiled. "No, sir, I'm good. Just out for a drive."

"Good weather for it." He nodded and took her money for the gas and a chocolate bar. "Me and the missus do that from time to time."

Seeing the plastic pickle jar sitting on the counter for donations for the Wounded Warrior Project, Alison slipped two one hundred dollar bills from her wallet and pushed them in. Saying her goodbyes and wishing him a good night, she left the store and climbed back behind the wheel. Turning the key, she checked her phone messages while the GPS booted up.

Her two bars of service allowed her to call Roman, though he didn't answer. Leaving a quick message telling him she'd ended up outside of Hauss State Forest in Alabama, and that she was heading home, she told him she'd see him in the morning. Texting Ronnie to let her know that she was okay she slipped her phone back into her purse and pulled back onto the two lane road.

The night air was blowing cool and damp by the time she drove across the Florida line. She was crooning along with Patsy Cline, a song about love and the pain of losing it, when she heard a _pop_ and the SUV shuddered and wobbled violently. Pulling slowly off the side of the road, she turned it off and leaned over to grab the flashlight she kept in the glove box.

A quick survey of the tires proved her suspicions to be correct. He left rear tire was completely flat, a thick gash running along the underside of the tread. Cursing, she slid back in, locked the doors, and rolled up the windows before hunting out her phone. Being stuck in the middle of nowhere at 10:30 at night was not her idea of a good time.

"And this is how horror movies start."

No service.

"Shit." Holding it up, she slowly moved it around the cab.

No service.

"Oh, goddamn it!"

Looking around, she squinted into the night. There was no movement on the road in either direction. Deep woods sat a few feet from her on the left and a hay field was to the right. There were really only two choices: She could wait for someone to come along, or she could get out and start walking. Not wanting to just sit and wait for the first random person who came along, and disliking the thought of being essentially trapped inside the car if someone unfriendly should show up, Alison knew her choice had already been made for her.

Growling to herself, she hit the GPS and was glad that the satellites were at least on her side for that. A quick search showed something calling itself a "bar and grill" was a little over a mile away, in the same direction she was facing.

There was nothing else listed for miles.

Glad for the full moon, she armed herself with the Maglite and the hunting knife she kept in the console. Slinging her purse over her head so the strap fit across her chest, she held the flashlight in her left hand, switched off until she needed it. The knife was slid open and held so that the hilt ran along her palm and the blade fit, dull side down, along the length of her forearm. Locking her doors, Alison set out in search of a phone.

The forest of scrub pine and oak loomed, dark and foreboding, five feet from the right of the white line. On the left was an empty field, its fence of broken slats breaking up the jagged edges of the fog just beginning to form in the humid night. The moon, a heavy and silent sentry, floated in and out of the building clouds. Tree frogs and owls sang in the otherwise silent night.

Feeling eyes following her every move from the underbrush, Alison moved to walk on the left side of the road. It would give her more of a chance at seeing anything coming at her. She checked over her shoulder every six steps, glad to find the road empty each time.

It was with a sigh of relief that she finally saw the flashing sign in the wide, dirt lot surrounding the bar. A line of Harleys sat in front, all backed in for an easy and quick exit. There were a few pickups and a rusting work van, as well. Two flashy cars stood out among the blue collar workhorses. Closing her knife, she slipped both it and the flashlight into her purse before pulling the solid door open and stepping inside.

Tim McGraw cheekily sang of being a "real good man", and there were a few couples out on the hardwood floor. The bar was located across from the door, and Alison wove through a throng of leather vests and cigarette smoke in order to reach it. The seat she climbed into was a swiveling stool of greying, cracked vinyl.

A woman wearing a leather vest identifying her as 'property of Toymaker' smiled at her from the other side of the heavy bar. "Hey, Sug! What can I getcha?"

"What's on draft?"

"Bud and Bud."

Laughing, Alison nodded. "Guess I'll take a Bud, then!"

When the woman brought it over, Alison asked if there was a phone she could use.

"Was wonderin' what would bring you into a place like this. You break down?" She grabbed a red rotary phone from the bottom shelf and brought it over.

"Blowout on my SUV. It's too heavy for a regular jack, or I would've just changed it on my own." Fishing the AAA card from her purse, she put in her call.

As soon as they heard her name and confirmed the account number, they changed their policy of making sure the person waited with their vehicle.

"Ma'am, you just stay right where you are. We'll give this number a call as soon as we're getting close. Could be more than 2 hours, though."

Sighing, she agreed and hung up. "Any chance of calling long distance?"

"Sorry, hun. The owner has it blocked." Wiping her hands on a clean rag, she held one out to shake. "They call me Ragdoll."

Alison nodded and shook. "Alison."

Amber eyes went wide. "Oh my god, I thought that was you!"

Laughing, she shrugged. "Yup, just little ol' me."

"Oh, what the hell ever!" Calling some of the other girls over, Ragdoll introduced her around. "She's just waiting on a tow."

"Hey, now, we can't have such a pretty little thing leaving so fast!" The voice that came from over her left shoulder was low, but not quite as pleasing as Roman's.

Alison turned to see an older man grinning at her through a very bushy, grey beard. Smiling easily, she held out her hand. "Alison Hedland."

"Well, shit!" He gave the wheezing laugh of a man who'd been smoking for too many years and shook her hand. "I'm Gunner. You got guts, girl."

"My Daddy's a Marine." Alison shrugged. "I was born with his steel spine."

"A Marine, huh?"

Alison nodded. "Colonel Michael Hedland."

"Wait, wait, wait. . . Hardass Hedland is your father?!" Throwing his head back, the man laughed loud and long until the other vest wearing bikers had turned to stare. "You've **gotta **be shittin' me."

Alison pulled her wallet from her purse and slipped a picture from its clear pocket. Flipping it around, she grinned as the recognition slid over the man's face as he took in the image of her father in his dress blues standing next to her. She always got a sort of sick pleasure out of proving others wrong, and this was particularly sweet.

"Well, fuck me running! He was my Lieutenant back in the day!" Giving her a grin, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders in a friendly squeeze. Turning them to face his brothers, he gestured to her. "This girl's daddy's a Marine, and one of the best. We're gonna keep an eye on her until her ride gets here."

A chorus of agreement from the large, dangerous men had Alison laughing and accepting a second beer from Ragdoll. "Any chance of getting something to eat?"

"Kitchen's open all night. If you're willing to sing for us, you can eat and drink for free."

"It's been a while since I sang country in front of people." Alison giggled, reminded of the days when she'd done just that in bars quite like this one.

Ragdoll snorted and rolled her eyes. "Like we give a shit?"

"Ten songs for a pulled pork sandwich, side of fries, and two more beers."

"Hell, yeah! Five now, and five after you eat." Ragdoll shook her hand and took her around to the stage.

MEANWHILE

"Ronnie, have you heard from Ali?" The guys had shoved their bags in the back of Roman's car and piled in.

He had listened to her message on speaker so the others were caught up on the situation, and they were worried. It had been hours since she had called, and she should've been home by now. They had had no word from her, however, and any call went straight to voicemail without even ringing. Dean was hitting redial hoping for a different outcome and Roman was hitting his steering wheel when Seth had asked about calling Ronnie.

"She sent me a text a while ago saying she was okay, but that was hours ago. Why?" Ronnie's voice held the hint of sleep, but she was shaking off the slumber as they spoke and Roman's obvious worry leaked through.

"Her phone goes straight to voicemail, and the messages she left me all said for me to call her." He growled low in his throat. "Look, we're going to my place. Meet us there."

Hanging up, Roman barely made it home without getting pulled over. Seth accompanied Roman to his apartment while Dean went past to his own, promising to be back as soon as he tossed his stuff inside. When he returned, he was shaking his head at what had been done to his new place.

Ronnie and Irish arrived five minutes later.

"We've got Buffalo and Hawk on stand-by. Marko wants a call in Texas, but will be here tomorrow if we haven't found her before then."

"Where the fuck is she?!" Grasping a kitchen chair, Roman gripped it reflexively before throwing it across the room with a guttural yell.

Irish stepped in front of Ronnie and leveled his eyes on the taller man. "Don't yell at my wife."

"What, you wouldn't be upset at the thought of your woman being missing?"

Seth stepped between the glaring men. "Now, let's all take a deep breath and think. When was the absolute last time anyone heard from her?"

"She called my phone almost five hours ago," Roman spoke mostly to Irish and Ronnie. "Said she was outside some state forest in Alabama, and that she was headed home."

Ronnie nodded, and rubbed her husband's arm as she spoke. "That must've been when she texted me."

"Jesus," running his hand over his face, Roman looked at them beseechingly. "What if she's lost? Or hurt?"

Dean gripped the bigger man's shoulder in support while Seth patted him on the back.

Seth looked at the others. "Shouldn't we call the cops?"

Ronnie shook her head. "She's not missing until she's gone for 24 hours, and even then they wouldn't do anything. She's an adult, and can go away if she wants to."

"Okay, let's try to think." Irish frowned. "You said she was outside of a state park when she called?"

Roman nodded and played the voicemail over again. "Hauss State Forest."

Pulling out her tablet, Ronnie searched while they listened to Ali's messages once again, in case they missed something before. Finding the location on the map, they decided to drive up the major highway and then take the most direct state route back. That way, they could cover both areas. Convincing Roman to get into their SUV so that Irish could drive was not going well, however, until the head of security growled.

"I can track her, but I need to drive."

Every head turned to him.

"What?" Roman was confused.

"I'm head of security." Irish shrugged. "Marko had a tracker put on her car just after she bought it, just in case. Told me about it because I'm in charge now."

Seth sighed heavily. "And you're not using it, why?"

"Need to be within 10 miles of it."

Dean, who had been twisting his shoulders nervously, snorted and wrenched open a door. "Then why the hell are we just standing around here with our thumbs up our asses? Let's get the fuck out of here already!"

Piling into the Escalade, Roman rode in the front seat. Ronnie accepted the small radar device Irish handed to her without a word. Dean was given permission to smoke, as long as he left the window down, flicked his ashes in a half filled water bottle, and handed one up to Irish.

It soon became apparent that letting the veteran drive was the best choice they could have made. The man drove the SUV as if it were an extension of his body. He slid between cars, weaved in and out of traffic with ease, and seemed to have a sixth sense telling him when to slow down in order to avoid police. Every so often, he would put his hand back and Dean would place a lit cigarette between his fingers.

They were nearing the Florida/Alabama border when the box in Ronnie's hands gave a '_ping_' sound. The screen was a green radar screen, and a little yellow light told her that Ali's car was a little over nine miles away to their left.

"It's somewhere to the west, Babe."

Irish nodded and began watching for a turn off the highway. "Got another smoke, Ambrose?"

They had lost the signal by the time they found a turn, and Roman was threatening to throw himself out the window in order to run. Irish simply shook his head and sped up. When they **did **find the turn, it took very little time for the little light to appear on the screen again. No other traffic meant Irish could push the car faster. Ronnie thought the road looked like something Ali would choose to take, so they followed its slow twists as it snaked through the darkness.

Rounding a curve, Roman gave a shout as the silhouette of her SUV could be seen off to the left. He barely waited for Irish to pull over before he was out of his seat and jogging up to Mercedes. Finding it empty, he turned and began stretching his shoulders out in an attempt to stay calm.

Ronnie hit the button to unlock the doors on her spare set of keys. Hopping into the front seat, she looked around. Finding nothing obviously wrong, she turned the key.

Dean frowned. "She run out of gas?"

"No." Shaking her head, Ronnie looked around again. "I have no clue what the fuck is going on."

"She got a flat!" Seth's voice somehow managed to be calm but excited. "See?"

The others looked to where he was pointing. Ronnie traced the gash with her finger. "That's one hell of a blowout."

"Now what?" Seth frowned at the others.

Dean shrugged. "Does this thing have a GPS? Maybe she used it."

Turning the key, Ronnie laughed as the GPS booted up. "Looks like she walked to a bar about a mile up the road."

"Then let's fuckin' go already!" Roman stomped to his door and threw it open before nearly throwing himself onto the seat.

While the Escalade was pulling off the highway and on its way to locate her own SUV, Alison had just finished her late dinner. The pulled pork was a nice, smokey blend of tangy and sweet while the fries were fresh cut and well salted. The tow truck was late, but the company was nice enough that her only worry was for Roman and her friends.

With the bar full of bikers, good ol' boys, and rednecks, her only problems had come from the owners of the two sports cars she had spotted earlier. They were four college boys slumming it on a weekday, and had decided that running lines on her was the best way to pass their evening once they had been chased away from the pool tables. Gunner and Toymaker, a late arrival and Ragdoll's old man, had taken up sentry on either side of her so she could eat in peace.

"Thanks, hun. That was really good." Smiling at Ragdoll, she slid down from her seat. "Gonna visit the little girl's room."

The short hallway leading to the bathrooms muffled the sound of the music just enough for her ears to register the difference. The bathroom was surprisingly clean for such a dive bar, the light blue and white tile gleaming in the lights overhead. Finished using the toilet, she stopped to reapply some light eyeliner and lip gloss from her purse.

The door swung open, and one of the college boys rushed into the room. Shoving Alison's much smaller body against the wall, he tried to kiss her. Kneeing him, she planted a shoulder into his sternum and knocked him off his feet. Snatching her purse from the corner of the sink, she made it to the door before she was ripped backward by her hair.

"C'mere, you little whore!" His breath reeked of Jägermeister and Red Bull as he spit his words at her. Snapping his right arm, his knuckles crashed into her full lower lip. "I just want the same shot everyone else is getting'."

Tears welled up in her eyes as pain bloomed over her mouth and face. Forcing herself to breathe calmly, Alison slipped her hand inside her still open purse. The drunk man was dragging his mouth along her neck as if she were his lover and not his victim. Feeling her fingertips graze the cold metal of her Maglite, she grasped the wide area that housed the bulb firmly. Now, she just had to wait for an opening.

When he pulled back to look for a zipper or buttons at the top of the dress, she got her chance. Swinging the heavy cylinder, she brought it across the side of his head with a dull _tonk_. When he went limp, she shoved him to the side and ran for the door.

Irish pulled the Escalade onto the dirt lot and cut the engine just as bikers flooded through the bar doors. Four younger men, dressed in button up shirts and patterned shorts, were hurled into the dirt in front of them. While three of them scrambled to stand, the fourth was barely able to sit up and put a hand to the bleeding goose egg on his temple.

Before they could ask what was going on, the doors opened once more to reveal Alison's diminutive form. Her hair looked tangled, her face was a livid pink, and she was breathing heavily. What caught Roman's eye, however, was the rip in her dress, the tears in her eyes, and the blood on her lip.

Alison had come outside to make sure no one was going to commit murder. She was so focused on the men in front of her that her first indication Roman was there was his infuriated battle cry. As she watched, he stormed through the assembled group and yanked her into his arms.

"You okay, Babygirl?"

She could feel him trembling against her, and Alison knew the rage wouldn't be contained for much longer. "Yeah, Big Man. I'm okay."

"Who hit you, _Iti'iti Pele_?" Pulling back, he kissed the unblemished side of her mouth.

"I already hit him with a Maglite."

Roman's smile was full of sinister intentions. "And he's about to get hit again."

"Baby, I'm okay."

Lowering his head, he spoke directly into her ear. "Which one?"

A cheer went up from the crowd, and they turned to see Dean slinging one of the attacker's friends back into the circle.

"Was it the one on the ground?" He chuckled darkly at her reluctant, slight nod.

"You don't have to, Roman." Alison frowned.

Roman smiled sweetly and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Yes, I do."

"Why?"

"Because I'm a man, _Pele_." Chuckling at the way she snorted and rolled her eyes, he kissed her bruised cheek lightly. "And a man protects the woman he loves."


	13. Family

Alison was so stunned by his admission of love that she let him push her toward Ragdoll, who wrapped a slender, tattooed arm around her shoulders.

Slipping the heavy silver links of his watch around her slender wrist, he gave her a sexy grin. "Keep an eye on this for me."

Ragdoll chuckled and pulled her near as Roman popped his neck and strode toward the circle of jeering men. "Just let him do what he needs to do, honey. Men like him? They need to get a little physical from time to time."

Ali agreed, but frowned anyway. "How do you know how he is?"

"Because he'd blend right in with my Old Man and his club." She jerked her chin toward Dean, who was slowly circling Roman and the younger man who had attacked her, feigning jabs while calling insults and threats to the stranger. "That one, too."

Not taking her eyes off Roman, who had now shed his shirt, Ali couldn't help but grin. "What about Seth?"

"We've already got one guy named Skunk."

Ali's giggle died on her lips as Roman took his first swing. He caught the blonde right on the tip of the chin, cranking his head around and sending a cheer up from the spectators. He followed with an uppercut served by his left hand. Deciding that the idiot had had enough, and knowing that his career would not benefit from an attempted murder charge, he stalked away.

"Hey!" The boy's voice was muffled by his swollen jaw and busted lip. When Roman turned around to pin him with a glower, he chuckled. "Your bitch has nice lips. Bet she gives **real good **head. Hell, I was just gonna warm her up for you."

With a roar more frightening than Alison had ever heard before, Roman covered the thirteen feet in a few strides. Wrapping his arm around the man's thin waist, he drove him into the dirt. When the attacker hit the ground, Roman straddled his chest and began raining fists down on him.

One of the other outsiders, this one a brunette with a pristine blue pinstripe dress shirt and khakis, kicked off the flip flops he had been sporting all evening and rushed the much larger Samoan. Dean wrapped one hand around the back of the kid's neck and unceremoniously tossed him away from his friend. Tackling him to the ground, Dean began swinging and kicking in a way which was much less controlled than Roman's, but just as effective. Seth swung around to face the other two, giving them a quiet, crooked smirk and silently daring them to make a move.

When the stupid kid stopped moving beneath Roman, Gunner stepped in. Wrapping his meaty arm under Roman's right arm and grasping his left shoulder, he pulled the much larger man off. "That's enough, man. Go see to your girl."

Roman pulled Dean away from the other kid and then went to wrap his arms around Alison. "You okay, Babygirl?"

"Yeah, I'm good." Alison nodded and frowned at his bleeding knuckles. "You?"

He snorted. "Had worse from fighting my brothers growing up."

The service truck from AAA rolled slowly onto the lot as Gunner joined them in front of the bar. "Ya'll go on. We've got this."

"But, what about -"

"We got their IDs." Toymaker stepped up beside his club president, spreading the laminated cards out in a fan. "They try anything else, and we'll handle it."

Alison gave her number to Ragdoll and input the other woman's into her own phone, promising to come back to the bar soon. Roman thanked the men for their help and followed Irish and Ronnie back to their vehicle. Alison made sure they had everyone before they led the still clueless AAA mechanic back to her SUV.

It took nearly an hour, but her tire was finally changed. The man who came out to do it kept apologizing for how long she had been forced to wait, even though she had told him twice that it wasn't his fault that he had been so far away. Eventually, she just left him to his work and curled up in the back of Irish's Escalade with Roman and a first aid kit while Irish spared with Dean to work off some of the man's excess energy and adrenaline.

"You've busted up your hands pretty good." Holding his right hand in both of hers, Alison cleaned the bleeding skin and bandaged his knuckles carefully. "Feel better, now?"

Roman knew she wasn't talking about the clean-up job, but nodded anyway. "Hell yeah, I feel better! No little asshole is going to grab you or say shit about you without eating my fist."

"You could've been hurt!"

"You **were **hurt, and that shit can't be ignored!" Grasping her face in his giant hands, Roman frowned. "I don't know what I would do if—"

Alison pulled him close and kissed him softly. "But nothing happened that we can't handle."

Softening her voice, she sighed. "Thank you for sticking up for me."

The door beside Roman was thrown open, revealing Dean's smiling face. "Got any more of that peroxide?"

Roman grumbled, but slid out of the SUV so that his friend could be seen to. Coming around the front of the vehicle, he checked the progress of Alison's tire. Seeing that it was finally almost off, and the spare tire was sitting beside the truck waiting to be put on, he opened the door next to his girlfriend and settled her on his lap as she doctored Dean's scraped knuckles.

"You could've been hurt, or worse!" Alison frowned up at her unconcerned friend. "You know damn well that those assholes could go to the media and then where would you guys be? Screwed, that's where!"

"But we're **fine**! We had backup, and I wasn't about to let them gang up on my boy like that."

Alison growled to herself. "This time! But what happens when you **don't **have backup?"

"Then we'll deal with shit differently! But that was absolutely the only way to handle those little pricks." Dean frowned down at her. "You know damn well that their mommies and daddies have always just bought their way out of trouble."

She could see his reasoning, but had still been worried about them. "At least Seth was keeping an eye on the other two."

As if hearing his name, the man with the two-toned hair appeared over Dean's shoulder. "So, what happened?"

Irish and Ronnie joined them, sitting in the front seats so that Irish could blow smoke out the window, and Alison's assistant gave her an impatient glare. "C'mon, we've got some time before Gomer up there is done."

Alison jerked her chin at her bodyguard. "Since when did you start smoking again?"

He smirked in response. "Since I had to go speeding through the damn boondocks lookin' for your lost ass!"

Deciding his statement didn't require a response, Alison sighed.

"My tire blew out, I walked to the bar," Alison patted Roman's forearm when he grumbled. "I had a Maglite and a knife, and I felt better with room to run if someone sketchy came along."

"Should've stayed in the car." Roman grumbled.

"And what? Just be surrounded if Mr. Deliverance and his little brother decided to happen along?" She snorted sardonically. "Yeah, I doubt it."

Ronnie shook her head. "So then what?"

"Made it to the bar with no problems, met Ragdoll and Gunner – who served under my father for a time – and called AAA. I made an old school deal to sing ten songs in exchange for dinner and four beers." Alison smiled. "I hadn't done anything like that in a long time."

Dean made a circular motion with his hand. "Get to the asshole!"

Alison shrugged. "I went to pee, and he jumped me in the bathroom."

"Are you fuckin' **kidding** me?!" Irish chuckled mirthlessly. "That shit's just not right."

Ronnie nodded. "And you wonder why women go to the bathroom in groups!"

"I'll never bitch about that again." Seth shook his head. "So what happened?"

"I washed my hands and decided to touch up my makeup. He came through the door and pushed me up against the wall. I kneed him in the balls and shoved him over. I remember grabbing my purse off the sink, but he caught me at the door." Alison frowned as the memory grew hazy. "I can't remember much after that, but I know he punched me once and I hit him with the bottom part of my flashlight."

"Selective amnesia." Ronnie smiled and patted her knee softly. "Keeps you from lingering over the bad stuff."

Not long after their talk, Alison's Mercedes was back on all four tires. Shaking the man's hand, she signed a poster for his teenage son. Roman, Seth, and Dean climbed into the passenger seats before Alison eased back onto the road. She blew her horn at the much smaller crowd still milling around the bar as they passed, and the bikers responded back with shouts and waves.

The ride back to Roman and Dean's apartment building was mostly silent, the cool damp wind blowing Alison's hair and lulling the others into a light doze. When she slid into the spaces reserved for visitors, Seth stirred first and shook Dean awake. They both nearly rolled out of the vehicle before coming to her window and pressing chaste kisses to her forehead and cheek.

Dean grinned. "Thanks for my apartment."

"Don't even mention it, hun." She patted his cheek softly. "You two get some sleep."

She turned to Roman's lightly snoring form. "Hey, Big Man?"

"Huh?" He was barely registering her voice.

"Wanna stay in your own bed or head to my house?"

He snorted and leaned his head against his window. "Up to you."

Nodding to herself, Alison simply pulled his bags out of his car to stow in her cargo space, and backed out of her parking space. The drive home took half the time as usual, the streets nearly empty in the dark, predawn hours of the morning. She passed the guard house easily with a smile and a nod. Her gate slid open without protest, and she waited until it was closed behind her before pulling into the garage.

"Baby?" Alison leaned over and smoothed his curls behind his ear. "Hey, Big Man."

"Wha-?"

Giggling, she unbuckled his seatbelt and patted his arm. "C'mon, baby. Let's go to bed."

Letting her coax him out of his seat, Roman stumbled along behind his tiny girlfriend. Her red hair was like a torch through the dark house, and he slid his hand into hers as they moved through the kitchen and up the stairs. She simply cinched her small fingers around his much larger ones and pulled him into the bedroom.

Stripping him to his boxer briefs, she sent his clothes down the laundry chute and left his shoes by the door. Shedding her own clothes and donning a soft green nightie, she cracked the bedroom windows to allow the sound of the waves to enter on the clean night breeze. Roman had already pulled the blanket over himself and was snoring lightly, so she untied the curtains and then joined him under the duvet. His muscular arm looped around her waist and drew her to him as he turned, bringing her to lie across his chest, though his eyes never opened.

"Hey, Big Man?" Getting a grunt in response, Alison planted a kiss to his steady heartbeat. "I love you, too."

His arm held her more tightly and his other hand came up to tangle in her hair. She was nearly asleep when, a few minutes later, his low voice rasped a quiet "good" into the night air.

Alison slept hard that night, and woke only when she felt Roman's callused fingers running through her curls and over her spine through the thin cotton of her nightgown. When she sighed and moved against the smooth skin under her cheek, he rumbled and nudged her chin up. When she slowly blinked her eyes open, he leaned up and kissed her softly.

She sighed happily and climbed further up his body to deepen their contact. Sliding his hands up her thighs, Roman caught the hem of her chemise in his fingers. Bringing the soft material over her head, he marveled at the sight of her red curls settling around her face, shoulders, and chest before palming her breasts and growling into another deep kiss. Needing more of her, he held her close and rolled her under him.

Alison sighed as he settled his weight between her thighs and on his elbows. She loved the feeling of him over her, and slid her blunt nails over the wide expanse of his back as she rubbed against him. When he left her mouth to lick and kiss down her neck, she groaned his name loudly and arched her head back to give him more access. One hand remained on his back and shoulders while the other began threading through his midnight waves. His lips wrapped around her right nipple as his hand slid past her panties and began slowly rubbing her most sensitive spot.

"Oh, Roman baby," Alison's sigh was quiet in the false twilight the brocade curtains created around her bed.

Chuckling, he moved to push the cotton down her legs and over her feet without halting the worshipful kisses and caresses to her breasts. When she was finally blissfully naked beneath him, he drew away from her skin to once again kiss her deeply, twining his tongue with hers in a slow, erotic dance. Ending the kiss with a nibble along her lower lip, he caught her emerald eyes with his gunmetal grey orbs and eased his middle finger into her open and waiting core.

Chuckling at her stuttering gasp, he leaned down to whisper into her ear. "I love seeing you like this, and hearing how I make your breath catch. You like this, Babygirl? Like the way I feel against you?"

Alison felt as if every word triggered a tiny little orgasm in her brain, barely able to force out a soft reply as a second finger joined the dance at her weeping entrance. "Y-Yes."

"Good, baby. That's real good, because I'm the only one allowed to touch you like this. Understand me? This is mine." To emphasize his point, he curled his fingers, sending her into her first orgasm of the morning.

"Here in just a minute, I'm going to slide my hard cock deep into you, and you're going to take it all. And when you start coming for me, I'm going to leave marks on this perfect skin."

Roman's voice, his words, and the meaning behind them had Alison pulsing around his fingers, and she whimpered when he slid them from her body. The feel of his promised length slowly replacing them had her sighing and arching off the bed as he filled her completely. Wrapping her legs around him, he eased back so she sat impaled on his staff. She began rocking against him, his hands palming her hips and butt cheeks to guide her movements.

Just as she began to fall over the edge into the arms of ecstasy, he leaned forward to suck and kiss at a spot just above her left breast. The slight pain coupled with the knowledge that he was marking her sent her into another trembling release. She had had no idea that she loved being marked like this until him, and she nearly sobbed at the perfection of the moment.

"That's it, _Pele_." His lips were again at her ear as she wrapped her arms around his neck and undulated against him.

Once again holding her against his chest, he leaned forward to spread her over the soft sheets. Moving back, he shifted his hips so that he was hitting her bundle of nerves with each thrust of his trim hips. Bending forward, he clasped her wrists above her head in one hand and began kissing, nibbling, and sucking at a nipple until she was writhing and whimpering under his onslaught. Letting her move as she desired, Roman groaned as she grasped at his hair and back.

Alison felt as though Roman were driving her insane. Thoughts were fleeting and refused to stay long enough to solidify. She could barely breathe, and loved every moment of it. The long line of his shoulder was in front of her face as she felt another wave of pleasure building inside and so she leaned forward and sank her teeth into the meaty area in front of his collarbone.

When he shouted her name and sped up his movements, she was lost. Her head rolled bonelessly on her shoulders as she shouted his name to the heavens. When he followed shortly after, she encouraged him to rest his weight on her, wrapping her legs around his to keep him from pulling away from the warm cradle of her body. Alison adored the feeling of his warm skin against her body after sharing such intimate moments together.

"Mmmm, Babygirl?" Roman murmured against her neck. "You okay?"

Alison giggled quietly. "Better than okay, Big Man."

"Sore?"

"Huh-uh." She stretched her legs and back as he gave her room to move. "Just really, really relaxed right now. I feel like I'm high."

"Good," he was suddenly hard and pulsing inside her once again. "Because I'm gonna fuck you in the shower."

Alison squealed in delight as he pulled her from the bed, making sure to keep himself planted deep inside her the entire time, and carried her to the bathroom.

Two hours later, Roman and the guys were sitting in the living room while Alison cooked a full southern breakfast. Everyone had slept in and been reluctant to find a gym this time of day. Alison had offered her own, as long as they picked up after themselves and left it as organized as it had been when they walked in. Seth and Dean had shown up, and the next hour had been full of the sounds of clinking weights and gym banter.

Alison had just put biscuits in to bake when her phone rang. Wiping her hands, she answered cheerily. "Hello?"

"Yes, ma'am. Is this Ms. Hedland?" The man's voice was professional, though slightly worried.

"Yes, it is."

"Ms. Hedland, we have a U-Haul here at the front gate driven by an older couple who claim to be your parents."

Alison nearly choked on the coffee she was sipping. "What?!"

"Yes ma'am. The gentleman has a military ID naming him Colonel Michael Hedland."

Collecting herself, Alison felt her spine clicking into the perfect posture she had been raised having around her father. "Yes. Please send them in."

"Yes, right away. Have a nice day, ma'am."

Alison wasn't sure if she answered him. She was turning down the oven, grateful that she hadn't started anything else as she reviewed what could be out of place in her home. She was on her way to grab the hoodie lying over the arm of the couch when she caught sight of the three concerned men on the couch.

"Shit."

Dean snorted. "Not the first time I've gotten that response from a pretty lady, but definitely the first from someone I haven't slept with."

"So," Alison blinked twice. "My parents will be here in about 2 minutes."

Roman was stunned for a moment, and then decided that he would just have to make the most of the situation. What was the alternative? To run? "Well, at least we're wearing clothes."

Alison snorted and then hurried to buzz them through when she heard the chime. Opening the door, she tucked some hair behind her ears and smoothed her apron over her peasant blouse and prairie skirt. As the truck grew nearer and neared, Alison could feel the tension radiating off the men standing with her on the porch. Roman had gone almost preternaturally still while Seth slowly popped his knuckles and Dean shifted his shoulders in an unconscious dance.

The truck eased to a stop in front of the porch, and an older man stepped down from the cab. His hair was a chestnut brown with liberal streaks of grey, parted to one side and swept neatly away from his face. He wore jeans with a pressed dress shirt in a deep blue. His green eyes were a perfect match for Alison's as he scanned their surroundings and then focused on the people standing on the porch.

"Was all this necessary, Alison?" His voice rang with his absolute authority.

Alison answered, completely unfazed. "I like the added security of the guard up front and the solid gate, and this house has the kind of room necessary for the whole family to get together."

Her father nodded and then strode up the steps to stand in front of her. "Are you going to introduce these boys?"

"Of course!" Alison smiled and laced her fingers with Roman's as she spoke. "Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose, and Roman Reigns, I would like to introduce my father, Colonel Michael Hedland. Daddy, these are my friends Seth, Dean, and Roman, Dean's brother and my boyfriend."

A soft grey eyebrow rose in question. "Brother?"

"Like Mikey and Sam."

He nodded in understanding and then shook his head. "You look like your mother, and act more and more like her every day."

"Is that a bad thing?"

Michael chuckled. "Hell no. This world needs more ladies like you two. Now, go say hello to your momma while I talk to these boys."

Alison reluctantly stepped away from Roman, giving his hand a squeeze before dropping it, and went to do as she was bid, smiling brightly at her mother. "Momma!"

Roman consciously pushed thoughts of what he had done to the man's daughter not three hours before from his mine. Keeping his back straight and his chin up, he was unwilling to appear smaller in front of the shorter man. "It's very nice to meet you, sir."

"My girl's got a good heart and a great head on her shoulders, so I'm going to trust her judgment on you." Alison's father scanned him shrewdly. "That being said, if you ever hit her, or treat her bad, or try to keep her away from her family, I will have you tracked down, beaten, and skinned alive and screaming. Do you understand me?"

The way he spoke, full of calm and quiet, left the younger man absolutely certain that he would do just that. "I understand, sir. I would **never **hit a woman. But, I've already hurt her once and plan to never do anything like that again."

"See that you don't." Half turning, a hint of a smile played at the corner of his lips as he called to the two women. "Alison, come introduce your mother to your young man."

Roman looked down to the drive and caught his breath.

It felt as if he were looking into the future, and that future was very attractive indeed. Alison and her mother stood shoulder to shoulder, their hair the same shade with the same wide, unruly waves and curls. Her wide eyes were the same size and shape as Alison's, though her's were a sparkling sky blue. He knew that Anna-Kate Hedland was in her mid-50s, but she could easily pass for a woman in her 30s. Her waist was slightly wider than her daughter's, though her breasts and hips had filled out to match.

"Wow." Dean's voice was quiet, but Michael caught the sound anyway.

"Yeah, I got lucky as hell, and I know it." He chuckled and nudged Dean lightly. "You should see some of the trolls the other men are married to, and my girl is still as stunning as the day we met."

Alison held her mother's hand until they were in front of the others. She went through the introductions again, smiling at the older woman's obvious approval of Roman. Her mother had always been the one to take everyone under her wing, and she was already sizing the three men up. Alison had a feeling she'd know their clothing sizes, favorite meals, and mothers' maiden names before the visit was over.

"Do I smell biscuits?" Anna-Kate smiled at her daughter.

"Oh, yes!" Alison led everyone back into the house. "Everyone slept in this morning. They just came over to use my gym, and I was making breakfast. Are you and Daddy hungry?"

Her father's nose visibly twitched. "Are the biscuits homemade?"

"Of course! Was getting ready to brown some steak and cook up some eggs, French toast, and grits."

Michael nodded. "Sounds good. You ladies get the food sorted, and these boys can help carry things inside."

"Daddy, I can bring it all in after we eat. There are only some boxes."

"Sure, sure." Michael accepted a cup of black coffee and sat with the others at the kitchen island. "Then there's the gun safe."

Seth nearly choked on his coffee and looked around at Alison. "Do you have enough guns for a safe?"

"I have a few handguns," Alison shrugged and checked the biscuits before turning up the oven a bit and whipping eggs together with a bit of sugar and cinnamon.

Anna-Kate slipped one of Alison's other aprons over her head and tied her daughter's hair back with a green ribbon she saw laying on the counter. "There, now you won't be fussing with your hair when you should be cooking. Where do you need me?"

"You do grits and eggs while I work on steak and French toast?" Alison loved her mother's grits.

Nodding, her mother located the pan she wanted and began working alongside her daughter. Roman watched as the two moved together easily, stepping around and reaching over each other without bumping or interrupting. When her father asked about bacon, Alison stopped what she was doing and slipped a white wrapped bundle from the refrigerator while her mother put a cast iron skillet on to warm.

"Your father has a surprise for you."

Michael huffed. "It's not a surprise if you tell her about it."

"Well, someone had to!" Anna-Kate smiled at Roman. "He doesn't like to have these things pointed out."

Alison smiled at her mother before turning her wide green eyes on her father. "What surprise?"

"Got you some shotguns for around the house." Peeking into one of the containers Alison had sitting on the counter, he slipped a snickerdoodle free. "These your recipe?"

"Daddy, those are for Dean!" Alison giggled, not really upset. "They're mom's recipe. And why do I need shotguns?"

Anna-Kate chuckled over the frying bacon. "Oh, honey, I haven't make snickerdoodles in **years**. That's your recipe now."

Michael slipped a few more cookies free and passed them to the other three. "You need a shotgun for home protection. You're here all by yourself, and I'll feel better with you having them."

"I'm buying her a dog soon, actually." Roman's deep voice made Alison smile and her mother's eyes widen. "We were going to look at some rescues tomorrow, and then she's going to a few others with Ronnie on Monday."

"Really?" Michael nodded approvingly. "What breeds are you looking at?"

Alison and her mother completed cooking as they listened to the men comparing the different types of dogs and then what they had been doing in the gym before the older couple had arrived. They soon migrated into the gym in order to show him the equipment and weights Alison had carefully chosen. Anna-Kate giggled and nudged Alison's arm before breaking into full laughter.

"Think they'll be okay?" Alison flipped the last of the battered bread onto a plate and put it on the warmer before finishing up the steak.

"Okay?! Honey, I think your father may actually **like **this young man. And I like him too, just so you know. He has arms like your father used to, though with far more tattoos."

"He's Samoan. It's part of his heritage."

"I remember some of the men in Hawaii having the same sort of decorations. They didn't have voices like his, though. My goodness!" Her mother winked and took the grits off the heat. She finished up the eggs before raising her voice to call through the room. "Boys, come wash your hands!"

Alison giggled over the three large men rushing to do as her mother commanded, and hurried to set the dining room table. Seth took the silverware out of her hands while Dean picked up the stack of plates. Turning toward the kitchen, she quick-stepped out of Roman's way as he carried a platter of eggs on one hand and the plate of biscuits on the other to set in the center of the table. Her father carried the steak while Alison and Anna-Kate finished bringing plates and serving ware.

They were all busy making their plates when her father looked around the table with a frown.

Alison surveyed the spread before realizing that they had forgotten the honey. "Need honey, Dad?"

"If you've got any."

Snorting a laugh, she placed her napkin on the table only to be urged back into her seat by Roman. "You cooked. Just sit and eat while it's hot. I got this."

Smiling at her father's nod of approval, Alison and her mother began to plan for the rest of the day.

The members of the Shield helped her father bring in boxes and boxes of things Alison had collected from their travels all over the world, and she spent some time hanging the ten oil-paper umbrellas she had bought many years ago in Japan from the corner of the living room ceiling. There were jewelry boxes from Germany and Italy along with hair combs from Guam. A little wooden turtle carved from volcanic rock by a man in Hawaii joined the boxes on the vanity. The gun safe was secured in the corner of the library, though a Mossberg was taken up the stairs to be kept beside her bed. With the majority of the boxes left in the library until she could get to them later in the week, Alison convinced her parents and friends to go out on her boat for the afternoon.

The sun was hot, but the water spray and the wind felt refreshing as they took turns piloting the boat over the waves. Seth was the first to try out the wakeboard, though Dean and Roman couldn't resist after seeing him skating over the frothing water. Alison wore a one-piece suit with a wrap skirt tied around her waist, lounging on the bow with her mother while the men took turns playing.

Pizza was prepared for dinner in the brick oven on the patio, and Roman went home with Seth and Dean at the end of the evening. Neither one of them wanted to face the awkwardness of sleeping together with her parents across the hall. Alison spent the rest of the night sitting on the balcony sipping red wine with her mother, discussing their plans for Thanksgiving, while her father poked around the house in search of things that might need attention or repair.

O:O:O:O:O:

Alison's parents left early the next morning, and Ronnie arrived soon after to supervise the fence contractor they had hired to held puppy proof her yard. They were paying a bit extra from him to come out on an Sunday, but they wanted it done as quickly as possible. Alison was enjoying a cup of coffee on the balcony, drinking in the morning quiet, when Ronnie joined her with a tall glass of water.

"There's coffee in the pot downstairs." Alison nodded to her own cup.

Ronnie sighed wistfully. "Oh, I smelled it when I came in."

"Why not just have a cup? You know where everything is."

"I had a cup before I left the house, and I'm trying to cut down." Ronnie's face lit up with an impish grin. "It's not good for the baby."

Alison frowned. "Baby? What bab – Oh, my **God**!"

Ronnie laughed as she was wrapped up in a tight hug. "I'm not too far along, just a month now, but I wanted to let you know first."

"I'm gonna be an aunty! I'm gonna be an aunty!" Alison singsonged as she danced around Ronnie's chair happily. "Can I tweet it?!"

"Sure."

"With a picture?"

"As long as it's not of my tummy." She grinned at Alison's disappointed whine. "Oh, fine!"

Making sure that Ronnie's shirt was pulled up out of the way Alison posed beside her best friend's still-flat stomach and smiled wide for the photo. "What should I caption it?"

"How about 'I'm going to be a godmother'?"

"Seriously?!"

"Well, if you want to be."

Alison made an excited sound in her throat as she typed that out and sent it out into the world. "Are you guys going to stay at the apartments? Are you looking for a house? Can I buy you a house?"

"You know Benny. He's already looking at places a little further out of the city, and no, you can't buy us a house!"

"But I get to spoil the hell out of that baby, right?"

Ronnie giggled. "I'm counting on it!"

The two women dissolved into giggles and began reading the responses to her news.

Perez was the first of her close friends to respond: _OMG! AllyRally to become a Godmother! Much love and Congrats to you and the soon-to-be parents!_

AJ Lee must have been awake hitting the gym. _AH! So excited for AllyRally! Babies are so much fun!_

_Sending love and congratulations to AllyRally on her great news! _Brie Bella posted soon after.

Seth put in a call as he, Dean, and Roman were leaving the Crossfit box they had hit as dawn was breaking. "Hey, Sweetheart! You're on speaker in the car!"

"Hi guys! Did you hear?! I'm gonna be a Godmother!" Alison giggled and Ronnie started laughing in response.

"We heard," Roman chuckled. "Ronnie's pregnant, huh?"

"Yup, she's totally up the duff." Alison rubbed the other woman's hair between her fingers in a show of affection.

Dean's grin was audible when he spoke. "So why did she pick you?"

"What can I say, Dean? Bitches love me."

Everyone dissolved into laughter before Roman promised her he'd be there within the hour so they could get on the road. Hanging up, Alison continued to sing and do little dances as she picked out her outfit for the day – cut offs and a Guns N' Roses tour shirt cut to fall off one shoulder – and took a quick shower. She knew they had appointments with three rescues that afternoon, and wanted to be comfortable and able to play with the puppies.

Irish arrived just before Roman, and the two men greeted each other warmly before Irish was wrapped up in a congratulatory hug from Alison. Making sure she had her purse and all necessary things, they were soon out the door.

"Want to take the GTO?" Alison grinned.

Roman smirked back. "Only if I can drive."

"If you hurt my car, it will cause a serious problem in our relationship." Handing him the keys, Alison climbed into the passenger seat.

"I promise to be extra careful." Roman took a moment to adjust the seat and mirrors before backing carefully out of the garage and prowling over the asphalt of her driveway. "This car is amazing!"

Alison smiled widely and then affected an air of conceit. "I know."

"So, it was cool meeting your parents. I don't think they hate me too much, though your mom may like Dean more."

"They like you, don't worry. And momma just wants to adopt him the same way she adopted my brother Mikey's best friend when they were teenagers." Stretching, she smiled over at him as he switched on the radio. "I'm glad you guys are doing shows in Florida this week. It's nice to have you home for a while."

"I couldn't agree more, Babygirl."

The first place they visited served as a foster home for pit bulls. While they were all very sweet, none of them seemed to click with her. Of the five puppies currently rolling around on the floor, two of them were more interested in biting each other than playing with her, another was so fat that he simply wanted to lie on a soft pillow, and the last two seemed to be afraid of Roman's voice every time he spoke. Thanking the woman for her time, they soon set out for the next place.

This rescue was set on a little plot of land in the country beyond the suburbs of Pensacola, and there were puppies and older dogs running around as they pulled into the small parking area at the front of the house. Alison was cooing over the canines before they even reached the man standing at the front door. He chuckled and made sure to point out how large the adults were before introducing himself as Chris, and smiled when Alison informed him of her research and plans to hire a trainer to help show her the ropes and get her and her puppy off to the right start.

"These are Caucasian Ovcharka guardian dogs. The males will get up to 150 pounds or more, and they will need to be played with and included in family time."

Alison nodded and smiled. "I know. We're wanting something to guard me and the house, but that can go with me on runs and on the road."

"Well, as long as he gets enough exercise, I don't think that would be a problem for this particular breed."

They were soon led into a fenced area with seven adorable little bundles of fur. Chris gave her some treats to tear up for rewards as she ordered them each to sit. She smiled as they followed her orders easily. Some of them were simply too loud and demanding of attention and so three of them were eliminated. Another pair was more interested in trying to escape than in playing with her, even though it meant no treats, and so she waved them away.

The last two puppies were both male, and very playful. Roman and Alison played with them for nearly an hour before tiring. Alison plopped down next to the fence in a bit of grass and one of the puppies looped off to play with his brothers and sisters. The other, a mostly grey boy with white paws and a black face, came over and stretched out next to her, his head on her knee.

"Hey, pretty boy," Alison's voice was quiet and soft. "You are so sweet."

The puppy watched as she slid down onto her back, and wriggled up onto her chest. When Alison yawned and scratched her nails back and forth down his white dorsal stripe, he gave a little puppy yawn of his own, his tail thumping against her stomach. Alison giggled lightly and made kissing sounds at him until he licked her nose in response.

Roman had been watching from where he was speaking with Chris, and they smiled at each other knowingly. Easing down beside Alison, he chuckled when the puppy raised his head and laid his ears back in a silent warning. Letting him smell the back of his hand, Roman scratched behind the little dog's ear until his tail wagged lazily.

"Hey there, little guy." Roman chuckled. "You wanna come home with us?"

Alison smiled softly. "I want him."

"Yeah?" Roman chuckled. "Chris is getting the paperwork together for us to go over."

Chris appeared and told them to bring their puppy and come inside. When they entered the building, he motioned to a stack of papers on the table. "You two go ahead and start on that, and I'll put a gold collar on this one so no one else can look at him while you get through the red tape."

Alison's heart plummeted. "How long do you think it will be?"

"For you? Probably just a few days." Chris chuckled. "Do you have a fence and understand that he'll be fixed before you take him home?"

"I understand, and I'm getting a back fence today."

Chris grinned and motioned toward the papers. "You go ahead and get all that read and signed and I'll give my boss a call."

Alison read through the sheaf of paper, going over the requirements as well as what she should be expecting as far as size and temperament were concerned. It was nothing she hadn't already prepared herself for through internet searches and speaking with a few trainers. She signed at each little colored tab in order to make everything legal and neat.

Chris stepped back into the room, grinning widely. "My boss says you should be able to have him at your home Wednesday or Thursday. She will go over the paperwork this afternoon and, if everything checks out, will have him to the vet first thing in the morning."

They stayed to play for another hour before thanking Chris and climbing into the GTO to return home.

Leaning over, Alison held his face in her small hands. Pressing a soft kiss to his full lips, she giggled as his mustache tickled her face. "I love you, Big Man."

"Love you more, Babygirl."


	14. Conflicts

Monday Night Raw was taking place in Pensacola that evening, and Alison was having a lot of fun. She, Ronnie, and her three bodyguards had driven to the arena to meet up with Roman, Dean, and Seth so they could hang out backstage before the show. AJ had offered to show them around while Roman and the guys were busy shooting a promo and then doing an impromptu interview to discuss their storyline and do promotions for Night of Champions that was only 6 days away.

They were standing at a serving table in catering when a woman with raspberry red hair knocked Alison's shoulder roughly as she reached for the fruit salad spoon. "Move, whore."

"Aw, honey, are you okay? Did I bruise your little ego by being in the same room?" Alison held up a staying hand, keeping her men behind her.

"My **name **is **Eva**, not honey," the other girl sneered. "And what the fuck did you just say to me?"

AJ sputtered and gaped at the other women. "Eva! What the hell?!"

"It's okay, AJ. I've got this." Alison set her plate on the serving table and anchored her left hand on her hip. "I was just saying that I could understand you being a little jealous, and that I'm so sorry your parents failed to raise you right."

"Oh my God! Fuck you, you pathetic little bitch!" Her voice carried, and every head in the room turned.

"**Pathetic**? Oh, honey, you are just so witty." Alison felt her lips twitching into a smile as she saw one of the people wearing an earpiece speaking furiously into their mic. "If you had had a better momma growing up, then you wouldn't have just insulted someone at your place of employment. Now, when you knock into someone on accident, you should say 'excuse me'."

"I had an **excellent **mother!"

"So you were just being deliberately rude and insulting, then. Do I get to know why, or are you just like this to all the women who date the wrestlers?"

Eva smirked and pointed as Roman and his stable mates walked in the door across the room, their gazes quickly landing on the confrontation, though her guards waved them off. "Bitch, we both know you're only with him because of his looks and his money. He needs someone in the business, who can understand what he's going through and the things he has to do for this company."

Alison lowered her voice so it barely carried to AJ, who was standing right next to them. "Listen here, you poor excuse for a Jessica Rabbit wannabe, I am with Roman because I love him. You, however, need to take your cheap-ass Jimmy Choo knockoffs and get the hell out of my face. Otherwise, you're gonna see what **real **designer footwear feels like when it's pressing down on your throat."

Seeing Stephanie McMahon and Triple H stride through the doors directly behind Roman, Alison smiled sweetly. "And I believe that's for you."

"Eva!" Stephanie's voice carried over the now silent room. "Our office. Now!"

Alison sweetly waved goodbye as the other woman stomped into the hall, followed closely by the company's COO. Turning to Stephanie, Alison smiled and shook her hand as she introduced herself, but stopped her as she mentioned firing Eva.

"Oh, that's not necessary. I don't want anyone to lose their job just because they have a problem with a little diarrhea of the mouth."

Steph frowned. "Well, this isn't the sort of behavior we want to encourage."

"Of course not! Maybe there's somewhere she can go to. . . develop?"

Grinning, Steph nodded. "I like the way you think. Please, enjoy the rest of your evening and feel free to let me know if there is **anything **we can do to make your time here more enjoyable."

The room came to life the moment Steph's sensible heel traveled over the threshold. AJ, Natalya, and the Bella dissolved into uncontrollable laughter. The Usos jumped up to give their cousin a rundown of what happened. Naomi and Rosa sneered and stomped out without backward glances.

"Hey, killer!" Punk leaned back in his seat and focused his laughing eyes on her face. "What the hell did you say to her?"

"Oh my God!" AJ waved her arms franticly before copying Alison's stance from moments ago and trying to imitate her voice for the whole room. "'Listen here, you poor excuse for a Jessica Rabbit wannabe," she had to pause to giggle. "You need to take your cheap-ass Jimmy Choo knockoffs and get the hell out of my face. Otherwise, you're gonna see what **real **designer footwear feels like when it's pressing down on your throat.'"

"Woah," Brie was clearly impressed. "That's so badass!"

Nikki's eyebrows rose as she skimmed over Alison's black sleeveless blouse before taking in the red and yellow tartan mini and moving down to the sky high black heels with thin silver chains looped at the back. "Those don't look like they have much ass kicking in them."

"Didn't you learn anything from Cinderella? Shoes can change your life." Alison smirked and pressed a kiss to Roman's cheek, aided by the 4 inch black heels. "You'd be surprised how much a thousand dollar pair of shoes can do."

Every male in the room began coughing at her casual remark, some choking on drinks or bits of dinner. Roman was at once disgusted and worried, his eyebrow raised questioningly. Did she really spend that much on one pair of shoes?!

"What?" Alison smiled. "It's not like I **bought **them for that much! The lovely people at YSL **gave** them to me."

"Some shoe store just gave you shoes?" Dean chuckled. "Seriously?"

Alison shrugged. "Actually, the designer gave me three pair from their new fall line. It happens more often than not, really. People see celebrities wearing something, and then they want it."

"So you're a billboard?" Punk frowned. "You just wear shit people send you?"

"Hell no!" Alison snorted and shook her head. "I just don't have to pay for some of the girly shit I would've wanted to buy anyway."

One of the production crew called out that they had two hours until show time, so everyone started to hurry through the rest of their dinners so they could get dressed and stretched. Alison made sure Ronnie had a plate before she moved to sit with the Shield. Her guards and Ronnie all took seats at an adjacent table while Alison tucked her skirt under her thighs and slid into the chair Roman held for her.

"So, why didn't your boys flatten that stupid bitch?" Dean asked between bites of his chicken. "Isn't that their job?"

"They knew I could handle the twig." Alison shrugged and picked at her grapes. "It wasn't really that big of a deal."

"She is a skinny, isn't she?" Roman chuckled. "You really think you could take down a woman who's been training to be a wrestler?"

"Well, I'm pretty sure that I can handle a woman with no muscle mass and the inability to throw even the most basic of punches." Alison rolled her eyes. "Even if it has been a while since I've had any fight training."

"Fuckin' perfect, Babygirl." Roman chuckled and leaned over to press a kiss to her temple. "And I love that skirt."

Alison's heels clicked quietly on the concrete floor or the arena as she walked the corridor on Roman's arm. He was grinning at each man they passed, nodding at some and sneering at others. His long legs ate up the space easily, and Alison found herself taking quick, tiny steps in order to keep up. They were accompanying Dean and Seth to the locker room since everyone should be dressed by now, Buffalo and Hawk following, while Ronnie took a phone call outside.

"Hey Rome," Seth chuckled from his spot beside his friend. "Slow down a bit. Ali's gonna break her ankle trying to keep up with your tall ass."

Alison giggled and shook her head. "Nah, I'm fine. I'm used to keeping up with people who are taller than me."

Seth grinned. "Had to get used to it if you were gonna wear shoes like that, huh?"

"Nope, I've been wearing heels like this since I was fourteen. They've just gotten more expensive."

Roman poked his head into the locker room to make sure everyone was dressed before leading Alison inside. "Why the hell would you need to wear heels like that at fourteen?"

"Because I realized that I wasn't going to get any taller, and I was already a flat-chested geek with super curly red hair and freckles? I had enough issues without adding to it."

Sheamus chuckled from his seat. "Get called Orphan Annie a lot?"

Alison's lips quirked at her fellow redhead. "I was Agent Orange at two of my high schools. The Little Redheaded Girl from Charlie Brown was doodled on my notebooks in one of the junior highs I attended."

"Well, those aren't too bad." Punk shrugged as he began tying up his boots.

"You think?" Alison chuckled and then gave a sad sort of smile. "I was _Ang Mo _when we were stationed in Okinawa during my second and third grade years, which is weird."

"Why is that weird?" Dean glanced up as he rummaged through his duffle for the tape he used on his wrists.

"Because Okinawa is in Japan, and _Ang Mo _means "red devil" in Chinese."

The room had gone silent as she spoke, and Randy Orton's quiet "Jesus" carried.

Alison just shrugged. "There are, like, a hundred different names and insulting little taunts that I've heard over the years. Some of the Japanese kids started calling me the Ginga Ninja when they found out that I could scale the outside of some of the buildings and climb trees easily. I liked that one alright."

"Kids can be horrible, can't they?" Punk frowned at some private memory.

"Yeah," Alison agreed quietly as people returned to wrapping wrists or pulling on knee pads. "Yes, they can."

Ronnie soon returned with Irish watching her every move, smiling at Alison. "So, that was Daren."

"Okay?" Alison was confused as to why her manager would be calling her. "What's up?"

"The editors of _Fitness _magazine want to run a story on you."

"Yeah?"

"Uh-huh. Apparently, they want to run stories on celebrities and entertainers who are extremely fit."

"And they think I suit the purpose?"

Roman chuckled. "Trust me, you do."

"So, you think I should do it?" Alison nodded after he grinned at her. "Okay, when and where?"

"Well, we're going to be in Buffalo next Sunday for the pay per view, so we thought it would be cool to just head down to NYC after that for a few days."

"We'll need to find a hotel that won't pitch a fit about the new puppy."

Ronnie smiled. "I'll get on it tomorrow."

Monday Night Raw went off without a hitch, and Alison was happy at the prospect of having Roman in the same city for nearly an entire week. He slept at his apartment Monday night, as he and Dean were leaving early in the morning to go fishing with his father, brothers, and cousins. Alison had simply told him to have a great time and then asked him to call her when he got in. She spent her day doing some cleaning and setting up the laundry room to double as a puppy safe zone just in case he didn't do well with company.

She was out at a local pet store, scouring the shelves and racks for anything she might need, when her phone rang. "Hello."

"Hey, Ali." Ronnie's voice held something that drew her full attention.

Parking her cart, Alison frowned. "What's up?"

"So, I spoke with the editors of _Fitness_. They've already reserved you a room at the Sherry-Netherland Hotel on 5th Avenue, which is very welcoming to animals."

There was something in Ronnie's voice that had Alison frowning. "What else did they have to say?"

"They want to feature you on the cover . . . topless."

"Ummm…"

"They say it'd be tasteful, but I wanted to give you a heads up."

"Thanks," Alison sighed. "Just keep their number close in case I decide I want to talk to them myself."

"Will do, boss lady!"

Laughing, Alison hung up and went to look at cushions to use as dog beds.

"Is there anything I can help you find, miss?"

Alison smiled at the older woman wearing a store nametag. "I'm getting a puppy this week from a rescue, and I'm trying to figure out everything I'm going to need."

The woman chuckled and congratulated her on the new member of her family before grabbing a new puppy checklist from the front of the store. "Let's get to work, shall we?"

It wasn't until two hours later that Alison stepped out of the pet store and into the muggy afternoon heat. She had purchased two large dog mats so the growing puppy would have a place to lie in both levels of the house. A crate was loaded into her car in case she should need it to help training. Food and water dishes as well as puppy food, treats, a brush, and puppy shampoo also joined the other purchases in the back of her SUV before she drove to one of the few higher-end pet boutiques in Pensacola.

The leash and collar the new puppy would require were located in the back of the boutique. One and a half inches wide, the strap of black leather was studded with short silver spikes and deep red rubies. The leash was a simple piece of black leather that would allow the puppy to get up to five feet away from its handler.

She was on her way home when Chris called to let her know that the puppy's vet visit had gone well, that his neutering was perfect, that he had been microchipped with her information, and that he could be picked up the following morning.

Alison was too excited to sit still, and she danced in the driver's seat. "Is 8:00 too early?"

"Well, it may be a bit early." He chuckled. "How about 10:00? That would give us time to get him fed, played with, and bathed."

Alison quickly agreed and sent a text to Roman, though she didn't expect an answer from him for a while. When her phone rang ten minutes later, she laughed and accepted his call.

"Hey, Big Man!" Alison began cutting the tags off the doggie toys while she spoke. "How's fishing?"

"'Sup, Babygirl? Fishing went real good." Roman chuckled as he listened to Dean explaining to his father and brothers how awesome Alison is in person. "Dean's got these guys thinking that you should've come along."

"Yeah, no thanks. I had lots to get done here."

Handing his poles over to his father, Roman leaned against the rail of the deck behind his parents' house. "So, puppy tomorrow?"

"Yeah, we're supposed to be up there at 10:00. You gonna be up for that, or do you just want to come over later to meet him again?"

Roman snorted. "Oh, I'm coming with you."

"Good," Alison grinned. "I really wanted you to."

"Did Ronnie get all the hotel arrangements handled for the magazine shoot next week?"

"Actually, the hotel is putting me up at the Sherry, which is just amazing, and you can stay with me after Raw at the Garden on Monday."

Roman heard the reluctant note in her voice and frowned. "What's goin' on, Babygirl? You sound worried about something."

"When Ronnie called them earlier, they spent a little time talking about what they expected." Taking a calming breath, she dove into the problem. "I guess they're wanting me to be topless for the cover."

"No." Roman's voice was dangerously quiet. He could feel the hair on his neck standing on end as his shoulders and arms were suddenly loose and springy. His body was ready for a fight, even if there was no one to physically hit.

"What was that? Roman, I can take care of myself and make my own decisions."

"That shit is **not **up for everyone to be looking at!"

Alison resisted the urge to yell back, instead speaking calmly. "Is this some sort of jealousy thing?"

"No, it's an I-don't-want-my-girl-on-display-like-that sort of thing!" Roman sighed. "Look, I try not to fuss at you for wearing short skirts or little shorts where other men are around, but I don't think it's unfair to ask that you have actual clothes on for a magazine that is sold worldwide."

Alison smiled and nodded to herself. "Well, since you put it that way, I'll talk to them and see if we can't come up with something else."

"Thanks, Babygirl. I'll give you a call when I get in tonight."

Saying goodbye, Alison sent a text to Ronnie for the number she needed to call. It wasn't hard to go along with Roman's wishes when he was being reasonable instead of coming off like a controlling dickhead.


	15. New Friends and Family

A cool breeze was blowing in off the Gulf when Alison and Roman pulled into her garage just after noon. The day was humid, and his left shoulder pulled slightly as he swung open his door and grinned at Alison in the back seat. She had opted to sit beside the puppy, petting his head and speaking confidently to him as they traveled down the highway. They had feared that he wouldn't take to car rides well, but there had been no glaring problems. Alison led him inside on his leash before showing him where his bowl of water would permanently be located. She left the leash on in case she needed to restrain or lead him for any reason.

"So," Roman's voice held a hint of a chuckle as Alison patted the little dog's head and gave him a treat for drinking from his bowl. "Have you thought of a name, yet?"

"Grom," she said confidently. Getting his attention, she began leading them through the house on a little tour.

Roman smirked. "What?"

"Grom," she repeated with a giggle. "It means 'thunder'."

Looking at the size of the new puppy, Roman nodded. He had weighed in at 35 pounds during his vet visit, and could conceivably tip the scales at almost 200 pounds by the time he was done growing. "Thunder suits him, alright."

A melodic tone let them know that the front gate had opened. Grom gave a bark in response, looking around for the source of the unfamiliar sound before following them back down the stairs. The front door opened, and Dean stepped in joking with Seth over his shoulder. The laughter died, and they retreated quickly when the oversized puppy let out a loud growl and rushed the two friends with teeth bared.

"Holy shit!" Dean jumped back and slammed into Seth, who was caught between him and the now shut door.

"Grom! No!" Grasping his lead, she gave a sharp yank meant to get his attention.

No one else said a word or had to intervene, as the puppy simply turned around and came back to Alison's side. He sat calmly and waited, his body positioned in front of her legs. When Ali knelt and began praising him and petting his ears, Grom licked her face and butted against her knees.

"What the hell, man?!" Seth pushed Dean away from him and stared at his friend's new protector.

"Well," Roman shrugged. "We know he'll do his job."

"No shit!" Dean snorted and slowly inched closer. "He going to try to kill us every time we come over?"

Ali laughed. "Nah, he'll get used to you guys pretty quickly. He just needs some socialization. Come here and let him smell you."

Soon, the two men were petting Grom and receiving loving licks and playful yaps in response. Alison took that time to lay down some ground rules. Grom was to never, under any circumstances, allowed to jump up on them without being invited. And he was not to be on any furniture other than the beds bought especially for him. When Dean questioned why, she explained how big the dog would get, and that she had to be able to be the one in charge.

Seth simply nodded. "What about table food?"

"Nope. I'll be feeding him mostly on meaty, raw bones. He shouldn't be too hungry at all, and begging is to be ignored or discouraged." Ali called Grom, and then again more firmly, telling him what a good puppy he was when he responded. "Right now, the only exercise he needs is lots of playing and discipline is more praising what he's doing right than fussing about what is wrong."

Roman smiled as he watched the little redhead with her new pet. "You've done some homework."

"Well, I wanted to be prepared. The trainer will be here tomorrow, and will be over on Friday as well. When I get back from New York, we'll be going to puppy kindergarten and some obedience classes when he's a bit bigger." Rolling a tennis ball, she laughed and clapped when Grom chased it and came back with it in his mouth.

O:O:O:O:O:O:

Alison walked Grom through the lobby of Roman's hotel Saturday afternoon. She would be staying with him that night, and then traveling to New York City after the pay per view the following day. The puppy walked calmly at her side, his warm fur pressing against the skin of her bare leg above her heavy black combat boots as his eyes worked to take in each person milling around the open room. When he gave a happy bark and jerked his lead, she knew he had found Roman amongst their coworkers.

Roman stood talking with Dean, Seth, Punk, Cesaro, Daniel, and a few of the guys who had come up from NXT for the weekend. They had all been to the gym earlier that day, and had returned in time to take showers before meeting in the lobby for lunch. He knew Ali would be showing up with Grom shortly, so he had found a place near the elevators and began speaking with the others.

Corey Graves, his full sleeve tattoos drawing a few distaining glances from the other hotel guests, grinned openly before nudging Roman's foot with his scuffed boot. "Hey, you got some company."

The men all followed his line of sight to watch as Ali, wearing a simple lace dress under a denim shirt with cuffed sleeves and a black fedora along with her dark sunglasses, glided over the marble at the front of the room. She stopped for a moment to survey the occupants of the lobby, but the puppy spotted the three familiar faces amongst the crowd. Roman grinned as Ali slid her glasses down to see the men across the room better before pushing them back into place and gently coaxing the puppy to walk at her side rather than pulling his leash.

"God damn. . ." Enzo Amore chuckled. "So the rumors are true!"

Alison reached their group before he could answer, and Roman waited for her to finish praising the puppy for his good behavior before lifting her off the ground for a thoroughly enjoyable, and thoroughly possessive, kiss. He ignored the catcalls and whistles from his friends and coworkers, though he had to grin when Ali began giggling in his arms. Buffalo and Hawk stopped a few feet behind their boss, sharp eyes scanning the group before moving on to the rest of the lobby.

"Hey, Big Man." Ali snuggled into his chest once he put her down before turning to the others. She hugged those she knew and raised her brows at those she did not. "Am I going to be introduced?"

Roman nodded. "Corey Graves, Enzo Amore, and Adrian Nevelle. They're down in NXT, though they should be moving up sometime soon. Guys, this is my girlfriend Alison."

"Awesome!" Ali smiled brightly at each of them as they shook hands. "I've been wanting to get down there for a show, but felt weird going on my own."

"Hell yeah, you should!" Corey grinned. "Lots of great talent down there right now!"

"It's only a 2 hour flight." Alison looked up into Roman's grey eyes. "Any objections?"

Roman thought about it for a moment and then shook his head. "Nah, it should be cool. No one on the roster would dare mess with you, and you've got guards for a reason, right?"

"Yep, though we're still down one." Alison pointed out Ronnie and Irish at the front desk. "Irish is going to start interviews next week, I think. He's been looking over applications and service records."

"Service records?" Corey smirked. "Seriously?"

Alison nodded. "All my men are Marines, though I think Irish may have a few different branches in his pile. Guys?"

Buffalo snorted. "Fuckin' Airforce."

"Behave." Alison smiled. "Just because there's no way in hell we'd hire him doesn't mean he can't try."

Hawk grinned in response. "There's a few special ops guys in there as well. One specializes in hostage extraction."

"Does that mean negotiating or killing everyone but the hostage and letting God sort them out?"

Buffalo shrugged. "Same thing. One's just easier to do than the other."

Alison grinned. "Let me guess: the peaceful option isn't the easiest."

"Is it ever?" Hawk snorted derisively.

Ronnie arrived with Ali's hotel key to the suite, raising a brow at the laughing men. "Here you go, sweetie."

"You up for lunch with these guys?" Ali motioned to the men surrounding her.

The brunette shook her head with a yawn. "If you don't need me, I'm going to take a nap. I'm totally drained."

"Feeling any better?" Morning sickness had hit Ronnie late in the week, and the plane ride hadn't been as smooth as they would have liked. "Do you want me to stay?"

Ronnie smiled and shook her head. "Yeah, because I want my boss to miss time with her man just to sit around seeing if I'm going to be sick."

"Hey, I'm your friend too!" Ali pressed a kiss to the other woman's cheek and handed over Grom's leash. "You go and get some sleep. And take your overprotective husband with you!"

"Gonna need to find a new assistant, huh?" Dean shrugged when everyone turned to stare at him. "What? Ronnie can't be flying all over once she's huge, and Irish isn't gonna be able to focus on keeping Ali safe if his pregnant wife is around."

"Yeah," Ali nodded. "You've got a point."

Seth looked at the others, rubbing his hands together. "So. . . Where should we go?"

Enzo snorted. "Anywhere but the diner attached to our motel. That place is a bigger hole than the rooms!"

"I've reserved the patio area at Hutch's." Ali shrugged at the somewhat incredulous looks she received. "I knew there would be at least six of us, and friends seem to multiply whenever I visit Roman at work. . . Unless the patio is too public for you guys?"

"Naw, it's good, Babygirl." Roman chuckled. "These assholes just aren't used to having someone take care of them."

"Well, that's just sad. But, that's what happens when you go for fake-ass bitches." Ali smiled up at the men. "Ya'll should get better girls."

Corey grinned. "Got any sisters?"

"No, though I **do **have a niece who should be getting out of Basic in about a month."

"Seriously?!"

Ali nodded. "I'm the only genetic freak in my family, though two of my brothers have managed to have girls."

"Mikey and Jerrod, right?" Roman had remembered that little tidbit from their late night phone calls.

"Yep, and Mikey's daughter and sons will be at my place for Thanksgiving unless something changes with her orders."

They started across the lobby, only to be stopped by the hotel manager. "Hello, Ms. Hedland! I just wanted to personally welcome you to our hotel."

"Well, thank you very much." Alison smiled and shook his hand.

"Please, feel free to let us know if there is anything we can do to make your stay more enjoyable."

Remembering Enzo's statement from a few moments before, Alison smiled sweetly. "Actually, my three friends here were forced to take subpar accommodations at a motel. Is there any way you could help me with that?"

"Ma'am, I would be happy to comp them a suite as well as your own!" Turning to Corey, Enzo, and Adrian, the middle aged man held his genial smile. "Would one of you please follow me? I need someone's information. These computers make everything far more complicated than they used to be, I'm afraid."

Adrian followed the manager while Corey and Enzo gave her quick hugs in thanks.

Ali simply shrugged when Adrian returned and had one of the lobby workers snap a picture of them all. She captioned it with: _Just arrived at the Lofts on Pearl Hotel! Time for lunch with this crew! _and uploaded it to twitter.

"If you guys are on Twitter, you need to talk about how awesome the hotel is. Don't mention that the suite was free."

Punk, who had just hung up with AJ after telling her where to meet them for food, grinned. "Is that how getting free shit works?"

She shrugged. "Pretty much."

Getting to the restaurant was a bit cramped, but they made it with little trouble. Hutch's was a pretty little restaurant, and one of the best places to eat in the entire city. The staff was always attentive, the tables had real linen cloths, and the food was amazing. The men made sure Alison stepped through the door first, and the manager showed them to the patio with a smile and a nod.

The sun was warm, and the slight breeze was pleasantly cool. AJ soon arrived to meet them, and Ali made a big deal over the new pair of Converse the Diva was wearing. The men all ate varying sea food and steak dishes, indulging in a craft beer or one drink each. No one wanted to be bloated or sallow for the pay per view the next night. Alison and AJ both started their dinners with a 5-Sipper Manhattan, one of Hutch's signature cocktails, and ordered small plated meals in order to share a piece of chocolate fudge layer cake.

Roman spent half his dinner trailing the tips of his fingers over the satin skin of Alison's right thigh. Her light perfume tickled his nose and made him want to bite and suck on the back of her neck. He made due with pressing a kiss to her head whenever he got the chance, and gave her a wicked smile designed to let her know that she was turning him on and he planned to seal the deal as soon as he was given the chance.


	16. Developments

**TRIGGER WARNING: There is some (extremely light) bondage dealing with restraints and spanking in this chapter. It isn't too major, but thought I'd let you know in case that bothers you.**

The group was met in the lobby by a very agitated Ronnie. She was pacing the length of the back wall, Grom trotting happy at her side. Alison noticed how Dean reacted to the obvious tension in the room, his shoulders shifting uneasily and his hands shoving into his pockets so deep it looked like he was trying to grip his knees. Slipping the leash from her assistant's hands, she led Grom back to the others so that Seth and Dean could pet and play with him. When the brunette growled angrily and raked her hand through her hair, Ali couldn't contain her curiosity.

"What's up?" Ali looked to Irish for an explanation.

He shrugged, not taking his eyes off his wife. "No clue. We took the pup to shit and were on our way back when her phone rang."

"I will discuss the situation with Ms. Hedland and get back to you." Ending the call, Ronnie stood chomping her gum angrily.

Irish chuckled. "You know she's pissed off when Ali suddenly becomes 'Ms. Hedland'."

Hawk snorted. "No doubt."

Ronnie nearly stomped her feet as she came across the room to where they stood. "So I just spoke with the people at _Fitness _magazine, confirming meeting times and all that."

"Okay. . . ?" Ali wasn't sure how she was supposed to respond. "And?"

"And guess what makeup artist they have on staff?" Ronnie's lips were twisted in a sneer.

"Oh, **hell **naw!" Ali's words had taken on her mother's southern twang. Slipping her hand from Roman's, she grasped her own hips in an attempt to keep from striking out. "I am not letting that bitch anywhere **near **my face."

Roman exchanged confused looks with the other men. "What's going on?"

"Aunjanue, the woman who _Fitness_ has to do makeup, is our sworn enemy."

"Wait, wait, wait. . . 'Sworn enemy'?" Corey chuckled. "Seriously?"

AJ nodded, siding with the other women. "Oh yeah, women do that. It's for life."

Dean shrugged. "Why do you hate her?"

"**We **didn't start anything with her." Ronnie shook her head. "**She **hates Ali!"

Roman couldn't see how anyone could truly hate the tiny redhead. "Why?"

Buffalo chuckled darkly. "Because sweet little Ali fucked Charlie Hunnam."

"Okay." Dean shrugged. "And?"

It was Irish's time to laugh. "He was dating the makeup bitch at the time."

"Hey!" Ali rushed to defend herself in the face of Roman's dark scowl. "They weren't together at the time, and it was **years **ago!"

Roman flexed his jaw. On one hand, he knew it wasn't right to be angry at his girlfriend for sleeping with someone years before they had met. On the other hand, he hated the thought of anyone else ever seeing her the way he had. Shaking his head to clear it, he tried to focus on what was being said.

"I happened to be his rebound chick, she found out about it, and then proceeded to fuck up my makeup any chance she got. She even found out that I react badly to certain makeup, and made me break out for a week!" Ali frowned. "And it's not like I have a personal makeup artist, or I could pull a diva move and insist that no one else could touch me."

Seth sighed. "Well, that sucks."

"Wait," Enzo turned to the other man. "Doesn't your girlfriend do that shit?"

"Well, yeah, but she's in Davenport. Not New York."

Alison grinned over at Ronnie (who sighed and began dialing her phone) before turning back to Seth. "Call your girl. Tell her I'll arrange a flight for her to either Buffalo or New York, depending on when she can leave, and pay her $500 for each day she's with me."

Seth blinked twice before dialing his own phone and walking away from the group for some privacy. When he gave a nod, Ronnie relayed the news of Alison's private makeup artist to the assistant editor of _Fitness_. Alison did a little happy dance that was soon joined by AJ and Dean, which made the women dissolve into giggles against each other.

Once all the arrangement had been made, Alison and Roman decided to head up to the room to watch a movie while the others met some of the Superstars for light drinks. The elevator ride was filled with giggles as a family with two little girls rode up to the sixth floor with them, getting puppy kisses the entire time. The ride became silent as the family left, and the rest of the trip to the ninth floor was spent with Roman's arm around her shoulders, his fingers trailing up and down her arm. Ronnie and Irish took Grom with them into the suite they were sharing with Buffalo and Hawk while Ali and Roman slipped through the door just down the hall.

As soon as the heavy wood of the door shielded them from the outside world, Roman sank his large hands into Alison's hair and kissed her deeply. Her hat was dislodged and bounced lightly on the floor. She moaned at the feel of his tongue invading her mouth, and he gave a low rumble in response. Ali tried to pull away to lead him into the bedroom, but he held her in place with little effort. When she attempted to step away from him a second time, he growled and shoved her hips against the wall. Anchoring her with his body, he reached up under her skirt to yank her blue lace panties down her legs. Working her boots off, she obligingly stepped out of the scrap of cloth. Roman sank into the taste of her mouth as he slid a long, thick finger between her folds to tease her button.

Alison was a little uncertain of his almost harsh treatment. "Rome?"

"I **need **you, Babygirl. Like I fuckin' need to breathe." His voice rumbled into her ear and caressed its way down her spine to curl her toes as he fought for control. "If things get too much, you say 'yellow', and I'll slow down. Say 'red' and I'll stop."

"Like a stop light?" Alison panted and shifted against his hand until he swatted her hip to still her movements.

"Exactly." Quickly stripping the rest of her clothes, he shoved the scarf she had used as a belt into his back pocket and bent at the waist to put her over his shoulder and carried her into the bedroom, lightly swatting her cheeks every few steps.

Laying her down on the bed, he was glad to see that the headboard was a fancy iron deal with twisting vines and flowers styled out of the heavy metal. Slipping his belt free of his slacks, he threaded it through the bars and bound her wrists together. The scarf he had saved earlier was tied over her eyes.

As her world descended into darkness, Alison felt her breathing suddenly increase. She couldn't bring her arms down, and felt so open and defenseless. Her pulse began to pound in her own ears. There was nothing she could do.

"Shhhh, Babygirl." Roman's lips caressed her ear as he spoke lowly, his hand petting her curls softly. "I've got you, honey. Ain't shit gonna happen to you with me here."

Knowing that he spoke the truth, Alison slowly relaxed against the bonds. Her breaths came much easier now, without effort or strain. Why had she been frightened to begin with? Roman would keep her safe. Allowing herself to settle amongst the pillows and fluffy duvet, she smiled softly when she recognized the feel of his fingertips along her left thigh. He saw the moment she surrendered and praised her by kissing her deeply. He began teasing and playing with her by kissing different spots.

The inside of her right thigh.

Her left ankle bone.

The ridge of her right wrist bone.

She gasped in pleasure when he nipped her right nipple and then lashed it with his strong tongue. He hummed against her as his strong fingers slid back down to her weeping core. He sharply bit the underside of her left breast as he pressed two fingers firmly inside her. Alison's back bowed and she pulled against the belt in response, her moan tempting Roman to speed up his seductions.

"That's right, Babygirl." Roman rasped. "I'm gonna make you come around these fingers, and then my tongue. And then, if you're a good girl and let me hear every time you get off, I'm going to fuck you nice and hard."

He wiggled his fingers invitingly. "Now, you let go and feel."

"Oh, fuck!" The increased sensitivity of being blind had Alison clenching around his fingers quickly.

Roman was so pleased, he twisted his fingers and angled them to hit just the right spot as he thrust aggressively into her. She came calling his name and begging him to stop and to keep going in turns. Sliding his fingers free, he shoved her knees open and moved to run his tongue up the seam of her before focusing on her clit. Switching to sink his tongue deep into her opening, he lapped at her while pressing on her bundle of nerves with the side of his thumb. Pinching and rubbing the button, he was rewarded with her legs shaking uncontrollably next to his wide shoulders.

Alison was being tossed about in a sea of sensation. The feel of Roman's strong hands holding her legs apart, not allowing her to squeeze them together to push him out, and her inability to move her arms had her nerves firing and the rest of her confused. She wanted more, but the pleasure was nearly too much. She was right on the edge of another climax when she suddenly couldn't catch her breath and the tenseness in her shoulders and legs had nothing to do with pleasure.

"Y-Yellow," she breathed into the heated climate of the hotel room.

Roman almost chuckled until her stuttered word registered. He immediately stopped what he was doing and slid the scarf from her eyes. "You okay, Babygirl?"

She blinked and nodded, her breathing returning to normal. "Yeah, I'm okay. I just panicked and freaked out."

"You sure?"

"Yes. Yes, I'm sure." Alison suddenly felt ridiculous and sheepish for not being able to just let go and trust Roman. "I'm sorry."

Grasping her chin, he brought her eyes to his. "Don't ever apologize for looking out for yourself and making sure you're safe. Understand?"

She nodded, just then realizing that Roman still had his slacks on, though he had shed his shoes and shirt. "This mean we have to stop?"

"Do you want to stop?"

She shook her head. "Not even a little."

Giving a wide smile, he chuckled and kissed her softly. "Let's leave the scarf off."

Sliding back down, he quickly had her writhing and moaning beneath him. The first time she came around his tongue, it was with a wiggle and a giggle as they settled into the mood again. The second time he brought her off, she was moaning and yanking at the belt around her wrists. By the third, Alison's legs were trembling and her hips were bouncing uncontrollably as she begged him to finally give her more than his fingers or tongue.

Waiting until she had stopped moving against his face, he eased back. "Turn over. Get on your knees for me."

Alison rolled so that she was propped up on her knees while Roman rid himself of the rest of his clothes.

Seeing how she was almost kneeling, he swatted her sharply on the left butt cheek. "Wider."

She spread her knees until they were even with her shoulders, and he swatted her right cheek. The slaps sent a bit of sharp pain sizzling along her skin, but it didn't last and she felt herself growing more excited and turned on with each swat. She moaned softly and wiggled slightly as she eased her legs an inch further.

"Do you like that, Babygirl?" He landed another slap to her left cheek. "You want me to spank you?"

At her moan and wiggle, he grinned and moved so that he had her bent over his knees. "I'm going to give you ten more. Count them out for me."

The first blow was light, and she counted easily. The next was a sharp crack on the meatiest part of her upper thigh. She shouted the number. He added slaps and smacks along her upper thighs and along both cheeks while she kept track, occasionally pausing to pet and rub at her slick entrance. By the time Roman gave the last spanking and Alison sobbed out 'ten', they were both shaking with need.

Using his large hands on her rounded hips, he positioned her so that she was angled just right and her chest was pushed into the mattress. Her head was resting on her upper arms, since her wrists were lashed to the headboard. When he entered her, it was roughly, and she shouted out in pleasure.

Roman rode her hard, slamming into her over and over until her orgasms were tripping over each other. She shrieked his name, yanked at the restraint, and nearly collapsed under the pleasure. When he let go and released himself into her quivering, pulsating, swollen channel, Alison began sobbing.

Easing down next to her, he freed her hands and pulled her into the cradle of his arms. Petting her gently, he crooned to her softly until the tears passed and she turned to kiss him. He chuckled and eased them both down under the covers.

"I don't even know why I was crying."

He shrugged. "That was pretty intense."

Alison agreed, giggling against his chest. "Fuckin' **spiritual**."

"I love you, Alison. Don't ever forget that."

"I love you too, Roman. Don't **you **ever forget about **that**."

O:O:O:O:O:

"Oh my God, this place is amazing!" Leighla giggled as Seth twirled her in a happy hug.

After introductions were made, Ali smiled. "How was your flight? Did the driver meet you okay?"

"The flight was great, and thank you so much for sending a car!"

Ali scoffed. "Are you kidding? I'm just glad you could come help me out!"

"It's my pleasure, really." Leighla shrugged. "I get to spend a few days with Seth, visit New York, **and **get away from the little twit they hired as manager of my salon."

The men had delayed their morning trip to the gym to accommodate Dean's hangover, Roman's inability to leave Alison alone in bed, and Leighla's arrival. They left the women to talk, and Ronnie – her stomach much more agreeable than the day before – joined them for a relaxing brunch in the hotel restaurant. They discussed the planned agenda for the next two days over omelets and hot coffee, of which Ali's assistant was to have no more than once cup a day.

"I already had Monday off, but I took Tuesday as well." Leighla handed a thick portfolio across the table. "These are examples of some of my past work."

Ali flipped through the glossy shots. "This is so awesome. Wish I could do stuff like this."

"If she tries anything dramatic, she ends up looking like a Halloween costume." Ronnie nodded her agreement, digging into her second helping of eggs. "Jesus, I hope I'm not this hungry the entire time. The baby will come out weighing twenty pounds and I'll never find my waistline again!"

Leighla beamed. "I didn't know you're pregnant! Congratulations!"

"Thanks. I'm not quite two months along." Ronnie sipped her coffee slowly. "Just hope the eating thing calms down!"

"Were you sick yesterday?"

"God, yes!"

"My sister was the same way with both her kids. It settled down after a month or so, and she was fine after that."

"Well, at least there's hope!" Ronnie snorted a laugh and motioned lightly with her chin. "Think you've been spotted, Ali girl."

Alison glanced up to see a family siting across the room. The parents were dressed well, though understated, in slacks and sweaters. The little girl in the highchair between them wore an embroidered bib to keep the egg off her pretty pink dress. The two boys at the end of the table were whispering furiously to each other and staring at her more than they were eating.

Leighla smiled. "Think they'll come over?"

Ronnie snorted. "Not if their parents stay in the room."

"Well then," Ali straightened her Shield tank top and fluffed the black and blue mermaid skirt she had ordered from Etsy before sliding her feet back into the impossibly tall black heels she had kicked off under the table. "I think I'll go say hi."

Leaving the others to their food, Alison walked over to the boys' table, grinning openly at the teens. "Hello."

"Uh. . ." The older of the two, a blonde with dimples, stuttered before he recovered. "Hi!"

"I'm sorry," his mother dabbed at the corners of her mouth daintily. "Do we know you?"

"Mom!" The younger boy, also a blond but with no dimples and dark eyes, hissed. "It's **Alison**!"

The older woman blinked rapidly. "Oh. Well then, I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it." Ali grinned. "I just noticed that your sons seemed to be fans, and thought I'd come by and say hello."

"That's so awesome." The blond smiled. "I'm David, and my brother's name is Cody."

"Nice to meet the two of you." Nodding at the CM Punk shirt Cody wore, Alison raised a brow. "Going to the show later?"

"Yes, ma'am," Cody spoke quietly. "You?"

She nodded. "Of course!"

Cody grinned. "Dad's taking us, so Mom and Amanda are going to do girly stuff."

David pulled out his phone. "Can we maybe get a picture?"

Ali nodded. "How about one with each of you, and then all of us together?"

After the photos with the boys were taken, she begged to hold little Amanda, who was now 18 months old. Smiling an cooing at the little one, she managed to coax a three-toothed smile from the small girl. The boys snapped a few more pictures of her and their sister before they all said goodbye and she returned to her table.

Ronnie was mid-sentence when Alison neared the table. "…love my job, which is why it's going to suck so hard when I have to leave."

Ali frowned. "I hadn't thought about that."

"Hell, Benny didn't want me on this trip at all." She shook her head fondly. "There's no way I'm going to be able to pull it off without some major fights by the time I'm really starting to show."

"Let's not talk about it right now." Alison finished off her coffee and signed the bill.

Leighla looked between the two friends. "What does a personal assistant do, anyway?"

"Oh, I make and keep appointments straight, run errands, get coffee, make flight and hotel arrangements, and now make sure Grom is walked and cared for if Ali isn't around." She shrugged with a grin. "Basically, I do all the BS she doesn't want to."

"Well, aside from dishes, laundry, and floors. I wash those." Ali grinned. "Keeps me humble.

O:O:O:O:O:

"Hey, guys!" AJ called from where she was sitting on one of the gym's benches scrolling through her twitter feed while Punk helped spot Dean on the weight bench. "Ali, The Shield, and WWE are all trending in the US right now – Oop, just went worldwide."

"Why?" Roman paused between machines.

Clicking on a picture, she grinned widely. "I'm going to guess it has something to do with these pictures she took with a couple fans while wearing a Shield tank top."

Smirking, Roman went about setting the right weights on the leg press. "That all?"

"Well, there's one with her and a baby that has a few people wondering if she's thinking of having any." Continuing to scroll, AJ smiled. "And here's one with her, Ronnie, and Leighla apparently out doing some damage at some local stores."

She turned the phone so Roman could see the photo of the three women walking, their arms linked together, down a quaint neighborhood street. Ali had her purse over the same arm that held Grom's heavy leash. Leighla's head was thrown back in a laugh. Buffalo, Hawk, and Irish formed a wall at their backs like a menacing cloud. In another photo, Buffalo had moved forward, his scarred continence throwing off an air of danger as he used his body as a shield for the women behind him.

"Wow," Brie Bella shuddered. "Those guys are just straight scary."

Cameron snorted contemptuously from where she had just finished some weighted Russian twists. "Oh my God, can we **please **stop talking about her?!"

Roman finished his last rep with the leg press and turned to look at the African American woman. "You got a problem with my girl?"

"I just think you should be more careful about who you hook up with," she shrugged and pushed her hair over her shoulder and a careless flick. "That shit is just fuckin' staged. Women don't walk with their girls like that."

Naomi came over to see the picture in question and then smiled. "Doesn't look staged or fake. I think you need to reexamine the situation."

"I don't need to reexamine shit." Cameron snapped her fingers. "That bitch is just after him for the same things everyone else is. His ass and his money."

"You need to get her name out your mouth. That girl pays for her shit even when I try to do it. Hell, I can hardly buy her dinner and nearly had to fight to pay for the puppy." Roman chuckled darkly. "And my ass is one of the few places that girl's mouth **hasn't **been."

"Dude!" Dean choked on his water. "I don't need to know that!"

Naomi focused on her tag partner. "You need to just admit that you're being a jealous hoe and get over it."

"Uh, you were right there with me all of a week ago. What changed?"

"I wasn't being jealous. I was just worried about my family." She smiled widely at her fiancé and his cousin. "I talked to Jimmy, and he set me straight. Alison's a good woman and you need to back the hell up."

"Whatever, bitch."

Naomi gave a short wave of the hand. "Bitch, bye!"

Roman and Jimmy chuckled with each other as the unwanted Diva stomped from the room. Shaking his head, he cleared his mind of everything other than the work he had to do in the gym. There would be time later to contemplate people's opinions on Ali, their relationship, and the quiet thought that he would like to be a father someday.

"Ooooooh," Cesaro frowned as he finished his cool down and began scrolling through his own twitter feed. "That is no good."

Seth's brows drew together. "What's no good?"

Clearing his throat, Cesaro read: "_Why is AllyRally with that Samoan dude? Couldn't she find a white guy to fuck?"_

AJ shook her head as she saw another derogatory tweet pop up._ "Another nonwhite guy scooping up a nice looking white chick. #Wrong" _

Glowering darkly, Roman sniffed and put more weights on the bar for squats. "Fuck those assholes."

The men entered the hotel lobby a few hours later, grinning when the women entered from the side door to meet them, their peals of laughter turning heads as they moved. Ali's curls were a riotous contrast to the others' more controlled brunette coifs. Roman loved that she was wearing one of the Shields "hounds of justice" tank tops, though he much preferred her in his castoff shirt. Ali and Leighla greeted Roman and Seth with gentle kisses before returning to their conversation.

"And how much do you make again?"

Ronnie laughed. "I pulled $75,000 last year. But, I went everywhere with her on tour."

Leighla shook her head. "That's over twice what I earn in a year."

"Well," Ali nodded at Hawk who moved to stand between her and a few people who had begun to gather as they waited for the elevator. "Ronnie started out making around $35,000 a year before she got better and better jobs."

"That's still not bad."

"Sir," Hawk's voice was calm yet firm as he spoke above the growing din. "I'm going to need you to take a step away from my client. Miss Hedland is not taking any questions at the moment."

The hotel manager appeared and began the process of forcing everyone without a room at the hotel to leave the lobby just as the elevator doors opened.

Roman led Alison through the room door, dropping the keycard and the contents of his pockets on the table. Turning to her, he slid his shirt over his head and grinned widely. "Wana come wash my back, Babygirl?"

Stepping closer, Alison placed open-mouthed kisses along his firm pectorals. "More that you know, Big Man."


	17. Trust and Progress

Alison stepped out onto the sidewalk in front of the offices of _Fitness _magazine promptly at 10:00 AM Tuesday morning. The Shield had retained their titles at Night of Champions, and the show the next night at Madison Square Garden had gone very well. Leighla had spent the previous night with Seth, but would room with Alison and Grom in the suite she had been placed in by the magazine that night, since their men had left early that morning. Now, she paced Ronnie as they followed Alison and her puppy into the high rise office building in which the magazine editors were scheduled to meet her.

"Miss Hedland!" A young woman called her attention from in front of the reception desk. She was dressed in a smart pencil skirt and tailored blouse, her heels just high enough to contour her calf muscles as she motioned to the elevators. "I have a car waiting for you right here."

Hawk nodded to the others and took his spot in a chair just opposite the main doors, giving him a clear view of the lobby, while Irish and Buffalo stepped into the elevator with the women and dog. The woman introduced herself as Mellissa, the administrative assistant to Mr. Bradley Mitchum, before she asked if there was anything they would like to drink. Gesturing with her Starbucks travel mug, Alison assured her that they were all set. Once they met with Bradley, and were instructed to call him 'Brad', she was soon turned over to a young African American man named Derek.

"I'm so sorry. I had planned on doing the interview after you had pictures done, but our photographer is running a little behind this morning." He gave a shrug that looked out of place on his broad, muscled shoulders and motioned her into a seat in front of a makeup mirror so that Leighla could get to work. "She called to say that her babysitter is ill."

"The order of things doesn't really matter to me," Ali smiled. "How old is the little one?"

"Just a few months. She's trying to get back into the swing of working." Derek's smile came out as a grimace, and Alison read the discomfort in his voice. "I have been instructed to call a backup if you would like."

"Of course not!" Ali shook her head. "I'm not in so much of a hurry that I'm going to take work away from a woman simply because she has family obligations. Call her and let her know that Ronnie, my personal assistant, will be able to watch the baby while she works."

Once that was handled, and they were informed that the woman was on her way, Alison relaxed back into the chair.

"Now, Miss Hedland . . ."

"Please, call me Alison." She interrupted.

"Okay. Alison, why did you not want to take the cover photo of your bear back?"

Alison chuckled lightly. "Well, I thought about it. Then, I realized that I just wasn't interested in showing quite that much skin."

Derek nodded. "It's your body, and I say don't let anyone try to make you do something you don't want."

"Exactly!" She smiled and nodded before sipping her coffee. "I love it when people agree with me!"

"Now," Derek made a show of starting his recorder. "When did you first become interested in physical fitness?"

The next three hours were spent talking with Derek and cooing over the beautiful baby girl that arrived at the office safe in the arms of her mother. Ching Lan was a woman no taller than Alison, with delicate features and a smile that made Alison reconsider her estimation of the woman's age. Her baby, Dao-Ming, had fallen asleep on the ride over, and was snuggled into a portable bassinet off to the side.

"Thank you so much for this, Miss Hedland."

Alison smiled and shook her head. "There's no need to thank me. I love babies and Ronnie could use the practice."

"Nah, I'm good with handling babies." Ronnie chuckled. "It's Benny that could use some help."

Irish snorted a laugh. "Hell, no. I just have to make sure that any boy you have grows up to be a decent man and any girl stays off the pole."

"Yeah, okay."

It soon became clear that the photos weren't going to be finished in one afternoon, and the editors arranged for Alison and her people to keep their rooms at the Sherry for the next few days. Ching Lan promised to have her mother watch the baby the rest of the week, because she had some ideas for shots in the gym. Once she heard Alison talking about dancing and ballet, she insisted that they spend at least one day with the singer in pointe shoes in areas around the city.

"I'm going to have to call Roman." Alison shrugged. "Looks like we'll be here until at least Friday morning."

"Nothing like spending fashion week in New York City, though." Ching Lan grinned. "Right?"

Alison gasped happily and looked at Ronnie.

Ronnie shook her head, smiling. "I'll make some calls and see about getting you into some shows."

"Leigh?" Alison smiled at her new friend. "Any chance you can stay on for the whole week?"

O:O:O:O:O:

The locker room was full of Superstars dressing or stretching out before grabbing showers in the big tiled room. The Smackdown tapings had been particularly brutal for many of them that evening. The men in the Shield occupied three of the stalls at the end of one row.

"So, how's Leighla doing?" Roman looked up from tying his shoes to talk with Seth. "Ali said she got fired."

Seth nodded. "Yeah, her pretentious bitch of a boss told her that they didn't want her 'sharing her talent' with clients not paying the salon. I guess they told her that, if she couldn't come back by this morning, she shouldn't bother coming back at all."

Dean snorted from where he was doing stretches, trying to work out a knot in his lower back. "Bitch didn't know who she was dealing with."

"Between Leighla and Ali?" Seth snorted. "They tore that woman a new asshole. Ali has offered her a permanent hair/makeup position if she's interested. Ronnie has been talking to her about maybe taking over once Irish really starts throwing a fit about the baby, so that might happen."

Roman nodded. "Yeah, that's what Ali said when I talked to her earlier. I guess it's fashion week in New York, so they're really girling it up."

"Leighla working for Ali will probably mean moving to Florida." Dean had begun working on his hamstrings and spoke slowly as he eased into the movements.

"Sorta inevitable at this point." Seth merely shrugged. "I'm gonna propose, you know."

Seth's calm statement brought instant stillness to his best friends.

Dean eased into sitting on the floor. "What? When?"

"Not sure. But, it just feels right, with everything coming together for us career wise."

Roman grinned. "That's awesome, man."

"So," Seth grinned and glanced at Dean before focusing his eyes, wide and far too innocent, on the large Samoan. "When are you and Ali gonna take the plunge?"

"Dude!" Jerking upright, Roman's knees cracked with the movement of standing from a squat. "We haven't even been dating for that long!"

"What about moving in together?"

He shrugged into the fleece jacket he had started wearing as the weather slowly began to cool. "We haven't really talked about that yet. Besides, I'm not going to invite myself to live with her."

The others nodded as Dean led them out of the locker room and then through the back door of the building. Knowing that Ali was planning on going to a runway show and then a party, Roman agreed to have a drink with Dean while Seth went back to the hotel. They wouldn't need to leave for the next town until morning, and Roman knew the other man missed his company.

"So," Dean sat two beers down on the table and grinned wickedly at his friend. "You've been thinking about settling down with a certain little songbird."

"Maybe. I never thought I would want to marry some girl and settle down. Do the whole family thing." Roman shrugged and sent off a quick text to Alison. "Well, at least not until I was a lot older."

"And now?"

"Now, I want Ali to be happy, and I want to be the one making her that way."

"Wow, that's sappy as shit." Dean shook his head.

"Yeah, okay. Whatever." When his phone chimed, he grinned and showed Dean the picture she'd sent of her and the other two women sitting together. There were a lot of well-dressed people in the background. "Must be at that party she was talking about."

"You ever gonna tell her about you and the Fuck-any-dick-tyl?"

Roman sighed. "Yeah, I need to tell her about Cameron. It was a one time thing, and I thought she knew that, but she's obviously convinced that it should be more."

"Yeah, she's definitely going to get worse. She's got that whole psychobitch thing going on." Dean was silent for a moment as the server placed their food on the table and walked away. "What if some other asshole tries something with Alison? You prepared for that shit?"

Roman's expression darkened into a frightening glower. "Then I break him. She's mine."

"Look, man." Dean leaned forward over the pizza that was just delivered to their table. "Should I worry about this whole possessive thing you've got goin' on? Because, I **will **punch you again if I have to, and I've seen shit go from jealous and possessive to abusive in three seconds flat."

"What?!" Seeing people glancing their way, Roman flexed his jaw and forcibly lightened his tone. "I've never hit a woman, not even one who was hitting me, and I'm not about to start now. If Ali decides I'm not good enough for her, then I'll deal with it like a fucking man, but I'm not about to sit around and watch some dickweed hit on her either."

"Gotcha. Just had to make sure you knew where I stood." Sliding a piece of the pepperoni-covered pie onto his plate, Dean grinned. "So, if Ali's going to be in New York until Friday, what are we doing Thursday?"

"Football and beers at my place?"

"Sweet."

A pretty, tall brunette with pink lips and too much eye makeup on sidled up to their table. Trailing her fingertips along the edge, she bit her lip and smiled at Roman. "Hey, cutie. You interested in buying a girl a drink?"

Dean coughed and hurriedly sipped his beer as tears threatened the corners of his eyes.

Roman simply shook his head. "Sorry, darlin', but I'm spoken for. My man here is single, though."

Pouting, the woman shrugged and slinked away.

"You know," Dean watched as she pulled the same lean and smile routine on another table. "Her heels aren't nearly as high as Ali's, but your girl looks nowhere **near **as slutty as that bitch."

Roman shrugged. "Must be in the way she carries herself or something."

A bit of satin and lace paired with sky high black heels flashed through his memory, and he couldn't help grinning down at his plate. He remembered a quiet morning spent with her bent over her kitchen table, begging for his dick. Alison could act like a slut, alright. But, she only played at being one, and only for him. And **that **made all the difference.


	18. Good News

"So, how hot is Texas in late September?" Alison flicked through dresses in her closet as she spoke with Roman on speaker.

He chuckled as he tied his shoes and watched as Dean and Seth gathered their things around the room they had shared the night before. "Pretty warm, I think. Why?"

"Jackson Rathbone and his fiancée, Sheila, are getting married at the end of the month." Sighing, Ali decided that she wasn't going to find anything she liked. "Maybe I'll call around and see what other people are going in. I have no idea what I'm supposed to be wear."

Dean snorted a laugh. "What is it with chicks and clothes?"

Seth nodded. "Whole closets full of crap and it's always 'I have nothing to wear!'."

Ali laughed at his falsetto impersonation of a woman's voice. "When a girl says she has nothing to wear, what she **means **is that she has nothing for who she wants to be that day. Besides, I have two more weddings to go to in October, and I can't wear the same outfit to all of them!"

"Well, who do you want to be at this wedding?" Dean grinned as he finished packing.

"Well, I know it's going to be something different and fun, since that's how the two of them are. I mean, she's a burlesque dancer, and he's just odd. I want something comfortable, but fashionable. Something shabby chic. Maybe a parasol for the sun?" An idea suddenly popped into her head, and Ali squealed in delight. "I've got it!"

"See?" Dean smirked triumphantly. "Wasn't that hard after all."

"Yeah, yeah," Ali shook her head. "Thank you, you adorable little shit."

The men all laughed before Seth asked her what she would be doing with the rest of her day.

"I'm going to visit Morrigan at the hospital in a little while, then I'll probably just hang out at home. That whole New York trip was fun, but it wore me the hell out." Alison yawned. "Irish and the guys are narrowing down the choices for my new bodyguard, so I'll have interviews to do in the next week or so."

Roman chuckled. "When do we get to see the article, and do I get to meet this new guy before or after you hire him?"

"I just talked to the editor this morning, and they told me that it actually turned into an entire special edition!" Alison shrugged, even though they couldn't see her, and slipped a dress with a denim top and layers of ivory and blue tulle for a skirt out of her closet. "I guess they didn't want to cut anything out of the interview, and enjoyed the pictures too much to really narrow them down. And you'll meet whoever I hire whenever you're around him for the first time."

"Enjoyed the pictures, how?" Roman's growl was a possessive rumble in the suddenly silent room, the bodyguard situation completely forgotten.

Ali simply rolled her eyes at his jealous antics. "Cool it, Big Man. I was fully clothed at all times."

"Oh, well. . . Good."

Sliding her feet into a pair of denim blue pumps with brown heels and ankle straps, Ali snorted. "You really do need to calm down, Baby. We talked about all this. Besides, part of the interview was about you anyway."

"Oh, yeah?"

"Don't even go there. You'll just have to wait and read it with everybody else." Chuckling at the answering groans, Alison took pity on the men. "It'll be out in two weeks."

Saying their goodbyes, the men headed to the gym while Alison placed Grom in his large crate. She hated to keep him so limited, but she knew that he could get into too much mischief if he wasn't contained while she was gone. Besides, she would only be away for a few hours, and he could use the rest.

The now familiar route to the hospital passed easily, and Alison was soon being greeted at the door by a beaming Brigid and a tired, but happy, Morrigan. "We're so happy you could come today!"

"I'm just glad I was in town when you called." Alison smiled and settled into a chair next to Morrigan's bed, taking in their smiling faces with a confused grin. "What's going on?"

The younger girl laughed, her gun metal eyes shining in the morning light. "The cancer's gone!"

"What?!" Alison wanted to make sure she had the facts before she flipped out.

Brigid nodded quickly. "The latest tests all show the same thing: The mass is gone, and there are no cancerous cells remaining."

Morrigan shrugged. "I mean, I could still relapse, but this is the best news we've had in a long time!"

Surging to her feet, Ali wrapped her young friend in a hug before rising to embrace the girl's crying mother. "This is so freaking awesome!"

"So, I asked the doctor when I could get a tattoo."

Ali grinned. "Yeah?"

Brigid rolled her eyes and chuckled. "It was the first question she asked."

"He says I should wait until I put on a few pounds and make sure I'm not anemic. After that, I'm good to go."

"I'm sure you have a nutritionist to help you out there, right?"

Morrigan shrugged. "They just tell me to eat anything that sounds good for right now. I haven't felt like really eating in so long, that I don't even know what I like anymore."

"Well, I'm a pretty good cook, and I'm sure your mom has a few ideas of what you used to eat. We'll figure it out." Alison frowned. "Still have no idea what I'm gonna get, though! You're going to have something all custom and amazing, and I'll end up with flash bullshit."

Morrigan laughed and motioned toward the sketchpad on the table. "I have a few ideas, if you want to check them out."

Handing her the large pad of paper, Alison watched as Morrigan flipped through pages until she found what she was looking for.

The sketch that greeted her when Morrigan handed back the book was nothing like what she had expected. A large, deep blue mandala would cap her shoulder with lace and beautifully shaded flowers peaking around it to trail over her shoulder blade. There were bits of sheet music, and a pocket watch with exposed gears. A raven, the bird associated with the Celtic goddess Morrigan had been named after, spread its wings at the top while a small owl took flight from the bottom. Roses and lace made of grey work and muted shades ran through the entire thing to pull it all together.

Alison was absolutely in love.

"This is amazing!" Turning the pages to look at the images at different angles, she glanced up at the girl lying in the bed. "Maybe with wild flowers instead of roses?"

"Yeah, I can do that! But you really like it?"

"Oh, yeah. I adore it."

Morrigan giggled. "Seriously?"

"I love how you say that all the time, and yes. Seriously." She chuckled and rolled her eyes playfully. "We'll have to find an artist to shoot on the both of us, and then have them look this over to make sure it will go on my skin the right way."

The two spent the next hour going over ideas and switching between the pictures for Morrigan's sleeve and Alison's. Brigid spent the time calling family and friends, telling them the good news and relaying well wishes to her daughter. There was a tense telephone call with Morrigan's father, though the younger girl simply stuck out her tongue and shook her head when Alison raised her brow in question. Deciding it was none of her business, she instead started telling her friend about Ronnie's pregnancy and the addition of Grom to her family.

While Alison was admiring potential new artwork with Morrigan, Roman was walking through catering at the arena in Topeka, Kansas, with Dean. Cameron had been trailing them since they first entered the building, and now sped up to pace them as they reached the end of the food line and began making their selections. Roman did his best to ignore her until she lightly grasped his bare wrist and greeted him with a suggestive smile when he turned his head to look at her.

"Hey, Roman. You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Roman's voice was low and clipped, his tone a warning to leave him alone.

"Really?" The pout on her overly red lips was practiced and coy. "Because you look tense, baby. I could help you with that."

Dean snorted from Roman's other side. "You wish."

"Look," Roman spoke calmly, though he wanted Cameron close to him as much as he wanted to cuddle up to a rabid skunk. "I'm with Alison, and you **know **I'm with her, so you need to back off."

"I wasn't saying that I wanted something exclusive or even labeled." Her thin shoulders gave a shrug that was almost **too **casual. "But we could have some fun while we're on the road. She doesn't have to know anything about it. You're such a big, strong man, and going without just to appease a jealous girlfriend just ain't right."

Roman's lip turned up in a silent snarl. "Get away from me."

"Does she even know about us? Because I'm sure she would just hate to read something like that on Twitter." Cameron's smile was full of malice as she trailed her fingers up Roman's forearm, and she laughed when he shrugged her off harshly.

"I'm being faithful, not catering to her because she's jealous. Alison is the best thing that's ever happened to me, and I won't let you ruin it."

Cameron giggled and waved teasingly as she stepped away from them and sashayed out of the room.

Dean jostled his arm and shook his head at the bigger man. "She can't say that shit over twitter. Steph and Trips would hear about it in no time, and they don't want that kind of publicity. She'd be busted down to dancing backup to Adam Rose so fast her head would swim!"

Agreeing, Roman finished filling his plate before joining his friends at a long table. "Need to talk to Ali before that bitch gets her number from someone and calls her."

"Finish eating and then give her a call," AJ shrugged as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "She's not completely unreasonable. I'm sure she won't get too angry about something that happened over a year ago when you were single."

Roman blinked. "How do you even know what we're talking about?"

AJ shrugged with an impish grin. "People think I'm little and innocent. They say a lot of stuff around me because they don't think I have anyone to tell. I probably knew about you two before Dean."

Nodding, Roman sighed. "I'll talk to her tonight after the show. Easier to concentrate and really get everything out if we're not rushed for time."

Dean nodded, but smirked. "Easier to fight and make up before the next show, too."


	19. Major Confession Minor Proposal

"Hey, Big Man!" Alison's giggling voice fluttered from the phone and into the quiet of the hotel room. "Guess what?!"

Roman chuckled and flicked through television channels with no real interest. "What?"

"Morrigan's cancer is gone! She's completely clear!"

Dropping the remote, he whooped in joy. "That's fuckin' awesome, Babygirl!"

"I know, right?! We're making plans to get our tattoos as soon as her doctors clear her."

"Any idea of what you're going to get? Don't want some bullshit ink."

"Morrigan is working on a piece for me. She's **amazing **with black and grey work, and has come up with this really beautiful sleeve for me as well as one for herself."

After checking in about the rest of her day, and hearing about how Grom had taken a trip out on the boat for the first time, Roman cleared his throat uncomfortably and muted the television in order to focus on the conversation at hand. "Babygirl . . . shit."

His uncertainty and rough curse has Alison sitting up in quiet alarm. "What is it, baby? What's going on?"

"I've got something that I need to tell you, and I'm not sure how you're going to take it."

"Well. . ." Alison bit her lip anxiously as her stomach tied itself in knots. "Does is have something to do with another woman?"

He sighed. "Yeah."

Alison fought back a choking sob and forced herself to speak, though her voice came out as a gasping whisper. "Recently?"

"No!" His denial was a shout in the now silent room. "No, it was a long time ago."

"Is there a baby?"

Roman gave a choking laugh. "No, Babygirl. Nothing like that."

Alison nodded to herself and breathed a sigh of relief. "As long as it was before we got together exclusively, and it didn't result in either a disease or a little one, then I don't think I have any room to bitch."

"Well, it was a one-time thing, but I slept with Cameron over a year ago. She seems to think that it should have led to more, and she is being a pushy bitch about the whole situation." Rubbing his eyes, Roman sighed. "She was threatening to tell you about us, and I just **knew **she would make it sound worse than it actually is."

Alison shook her head and leaned down to scratch Grom behind the ears as she passed his bed just before reaching her own. "I'm not going to be upset that you slept with someone before we even met, though I'd prefer that she not be around you all the time."

"AJ thinks she'll end up back down in NXT or on a limited schedule pretty soon."

Ali smirked. "Is AJ the one who thought you should call and tell me about her?"

"Well, I was thinking about it, but her and Dean gave me the push to do it."

"I'm glad you did. You sound so relieved." Deciding on a course of action, Alison smiled. "If she tries to mouth at you again, you just tell her that I already know about you two, that I'm comfortable with the situation, and that she's being a petty, pathetic, basic bitch."

"You know I love you. Right, Babygirl?" Roman sank down into the soft hotel bed.

Alison giggled, unknowingly mirroring his movements. "I know, and I love you too."

"Well, now that that's over with," Roman chuckled. "Any clue when you're getting your tattoo? And any word on the new bodyguard situation?"

"I'm waiting for Morrigan to be cleared to get hers, and we'll go together. It really is beautiful work, and I'm stupid excited!" Alison stretched out, wiggling her toes in the cool sheets. "And Irish says he's narrowed it down to three, so I'll have to interview them in the next week or so. They all sound like they'd do good work, so it's just a matter of figuring out which will fit in with everyone."

"Does it really matter?" Roman toed off his shoes and began looking through the room service menu, suddenly hungry after being so worried all afternoon. "I mean, as long as he does his job."

"It wouldn't if I could be assured that there would be no off the clock drama or personal arguments. The guys all get along, which makes things so much nicer for me than it would be otherwise."

"Good point," Roman frowned in thought. "Wish there was something I could help you with."

"Don't worry about it, Big Man. We'll figure it out eventually." Ali shrugged and suddenly remembered a news report she had heard earlier that day. "Oh! Did you hear about the storm that's brewing off the coast of Brazil?"

"No, what storm?"

"There's a storm that could form into a hurricane heading up the coast of South America. Looks like it might get here by Thursday or Friday."

"Shit. We'll be in Vancouver by then." Roman sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Are you going to stay or evacuate?"

Ali shrugged. "I'm going to wait and see how bad it is before I decide to evac. No point in running from a little storm, and Grom and I can just latch all the shutters. Probably invite Ronnie and the guys."

"As long as you've got emergency supplies, and the storm doesn't get too bad, you should be fine."

"That's what I'm thinking."

There was a lull in conversation while Alison got more comfortable in her bed and Roman finally decided what sounded good for a late dinner. Telling her to hold on for a few minutes, he placed an order for a steak dinner on the hotel phone. Suddenly remembering something as he got back to Ali, Roman sighed.

"Is Leighla already in town?"

"No," Alison smiled at her boyfriend's concern. "She's not supposed to be down here until the end of the month. I'm going to put her up in a hotel while she looks for a place for the two of them."

"Yeah, I need to sign a lease renewal for my apartment at some point soon."

"Do you have to do that by the end of this month?"

"I'm actually not supposed to be up for renewal until the end of November, but I may as well go ahead and get it out of the way the next time I'm in home."

"Well, why not just move in here?"

Roman was so startled by the question that he tripped over his own words. "Wh – What?"

"I mean, you spend most of your nights here when you're home, and your clothes are starting to fill up the 'his' side of the walk-in closet. Why not make it official?"

"You serious?"

"I wouldn't joke about something like this, Big Man. I know it took you by surprise, and you're probably gonna need some time to think it over, but I wanted to put it out there."

Roman nodded to himself. "Well, we should talk about it, at least."

"Okay." Wiggling out of bed, Ali went down the stairs to grab a notebook. Writing things down always helped her to think more clearly. "Of the last twenty days that you've been home, how many have you spent in your own place versus at mine?"

"No clue, babe. I **do **know that, besides when you were in New York, I only really went to my place for clothes."

"And I'm sure you're paying at least $700 a month, right?"

Roman snorted. "Try $850 just for rent!"

"Nothing's included?"

"Water and sewage. Everything else is extra."

Ali snorted. "So, you're paying over a grand a month for a place that you're literally **never **at?"

Roman blinked and then chuckled before chewing his lower lip in thought. "That does sound fuckin' ridiculous, doesn't it?"

"Uh, only a little." Shaking her head, Ali began doodling in her notebook idly while she spoke. "Just move in here. The bills are way less than a grand a month, because I like opening windows instead of using A/C, and I'll be paying half, anyway."

"So. . . Looks like I'm moving in." Roman chuckled as Alison's happy squeal. "I'll have to figure out the logistics of moving all my shit, though I'm not sure where it'll go. At least the furniture came with the apartment, so I don't have to worry about moving it all."

"Well, you could always talk with Seth. See if he and Leighla would want to take over the lease. You decide what you want to bring here, and me and Ronnie will take care of the rest."

Agreeing, Roman was a bit amazed that they had finished that conversation just as a hotel staff member knocked on the door with his dinner.


	20. Laying Plans

The storm had been deemed dangerous enough to label as a hurricane by Wednesday morning. Alison was counting through jugs and bottles of water – 10 and 50, respectively – and checking over the instructions for the new generator that had been installed in the utility room as Grom lay in the breakfast nook chewing happily on a large, meaty beef bone and a replay of Raw played on her living room television. The sky was a crystalline blue, but the wind had kicked up during the night so that a constant breeze blew ominously through the house's many open windows. The surf crashed noisily in the gulf, and she was glad that she had stored her boat in a dry dock in Pensacola.

When her cell rang, showing her father's ID, she smiled and answered right away. "Hello, Colonel."

"Your mother tells me you plan on moving that young man into your house."

Rolling her eyes at her father's gruff demeanor, Ali smiled. "He spends more time here than he does at home, and it's pointless for him to be spending that kind of money for no reason."

"You sure that's wise? You haven't known him for long."

"How long did Momma know you before you got married and started having little ones?"

"You got me there," he conceded quietly. "Things are different now than they were back then, you've got the kind of money that says you don't need a man to look after you, and I got your mother in the deal while she had to settle for me. I know you're as amazing as she is, and I don't want you settling for some meathead wrestler."

"He isn't a meathead!" Ali slammed the generator's door shut and huffed. "He's smart, and sweet, and he loves his family **and **me very much. And it doesn't matter if I have money or not. I don't **need **any man, but I **want** that one."

"Ah, hell." The Colonel's gruff chuckle took her by surprise. "I never could argue with the women in this family."

"That's because we're always right, and you know it. No point in arguin' with someone when you know you're in the wrong."

"Does he take care of you the way you deserve?"

"Yes, Daddy. He does."

"You just make sure that boy pulls his weight and does as he should. Don't want some slacker hanging around and dragging you down."

Ali snorted as she remembered their conversation about growing up and being exclusive and watched the image of her boyfriend scoop a man up over his shoulders and slam him on the mat. "Don't think I have to worry about any of that."

After making sure that Ali had enough supplies and an adequate plan for the coming storm, the Colonel handed the phone to her mother.

"So, Roman's in Canada this week?"

"Yeah, they've got houseshows and appearances there for next little while. They'll be able to come home after the Smackdown taping on Tuesday evening. He won't have to leave until sometime Sunday afternoon."

"It's nice that he gets to have some time at home each week."

Alison giggled and nodded to herself as she began pulling out ingredients for oatmeal cookies. "It's a little weird sometimes, but it works out really well for us."

"How is he going to take it when you have to go on tour?"

"I don't know, but I guess that's just something we'll have to deal with as it comes. Besides, I don't have any plans for a tour right now, anyway."

The two women talked for a few more minutes, catching up and confirming that the matriarch would be joining them for Thanksgiving. Hanging up, Alison went about baking cookies and preparing what she could in advance for dinner. That finished, she rolled the metal shutters over the pool room and began bringing in the outdoor furniture. By the time Ronnie and the guys arrived, Ali was in the process of latching the heavy shutters over the windows.

MEANWHILE, IN VANCOUVER

Roman chuckled as Dean threw punches in the air and shimmied his shoulders before twisting his head from side to side. His adopted brother was oblivious to the women sneaking looks in his direction, and wouldn't have believed it if Roman pointed it out, so the Samoan simply kept quiet. Dean made due with the women who frequented dive bars and hung around after the wrestling shows, and had made it clear that the type of woman he had taken back to the hotel the night before was what he preferred at the moment. The younger man's demons may have been quieted over the course of their friendship, but they were still there, and the effects of neglectful parents often echoed through the years.

"So Ali was cool with the whole situation?"

Roman smiled widely and nodded. "The woman's amazing. She told me that she didn't see the point in being angry with me over something that happened months before we even met."

Seth smirked as he gently laid his hand weights in their slots in front of the mirrored wall. "I'm not surprised with that. She seems like a really reasonable, down to earth girl."

"She really is," Roman chuckled.

Dean snorted and continued to stretch his arms. "I have a feeling that any woman who comes after you now will have a different opinion of her."

The three men chuckled and continued to theorize about Alison's reaction to fangirls as they left the hotel gym and headed for the elevator. Roman knew that women were still trying to slip him their room numbers at hotels and cell numbers at arenas, but he always either shut them down or pointedly ignored them. So far, Alison hadn't reacted badly to any of the twitter messages women regularly sent him, and seemed completely unconcerned with the occasional bit of hate thrown her way.

A voice calling from down the hall drew their attention to Triple H and Stephanie. Glancing at each other, they went to meet their boss and one of the principle owners of the WWE.

"You boys doin' okay?" The older man smiled and nodded at their positive responses. "I know you were probably wanting to shower and then relax before the show tonight, but we're going to need you at a signing."'

"Yeah, okay." Seth spoke for the others. "But what happened?"

"The Wyatts were supposed to have a signing at the mall, but they've all three come down with some sort of flu-like bug."

"Wow," Dean shook his head. "That blows."

Stephanie chuckled quietly. "Yes, it does. Thank you for making yourself available for this."

"Not a problem," Roman assured the older woman. "We're glad to help out where we can, and we go where needed."

Stephanie smirked as she gathered her long, dark hair into a tight ponytail in preparation to hit the gym. "So, a little birdie tells me that you're going to be moving in with a certain little redhead."

"Yes, ma'am." Roman chuckled. "Have you been talking to AJ?"

"Naomi, actually. I try not to get all my news in one place." Laughing, Stephanie grasped her husband's hand so it could no longer tickle at her sensitive sides.

After sharing another laugh, the groups separated, with the couple heading into the gym and the others filing into the elevator.

While the car driving the members of the Shield to the mall was busy finding the proper place to drop them off just after 1:00, Seth and Roman both heard their phones chime with a Twitter alert. Looking down, they saw that Ali had posted a picture of cookies in front of a shuttered window. _This is how I batten down the hatches! #HurricaneCookies_

Roman took a selfie and posted it just as the car door opened. _Getting ready for a signing in Vancouver, but hoping AliRally saves me some cookies!_

O:O:O:O:O:

Ali watched from one of the few windows they had left open as the gathering clouds became a roiling mass. The wind had grown steadily, battering the house and sending the surf into turmoil. A deck chair, left unsecured by a neighbor, flipped along the sand and became wedged against the back fence.

When the rain began coming down in thick grey sheets, Hawk moved her away from the glass. Swinging the shutter closed, he dropped the heavy metal bar into the hooks that would keep it closed. Buffalo and Irish went about doing the rest to the other four unsecured openings.

Ronnie, who had decided to nap in one of the spare rooms until the storm became bad enough to chase her downstairs with the others, eventually emerged just as Ali finished preparing all the ingredients necessary for steak and chicken fajitas. Instead of eating at the dining room table, they simply carried everything into the living room. Eating around the low coffee table, they watched the local news channel to stay up to date on the weather before growing bored and switching over to play video games.

"So," Ronnie smirked as she added peppers and sour cream to her chicken. "How much stupid man shit is there going to be moved in here with Roman?"

Ali laughed. "Not a lot, actually. From what he says, most of the furniture came with his apartment, so there's really just the televisions and such as well as his sports stuff, that should all go pretty well in the game room here."

Ronnie nodded before her eyes lit up. "Got a phone call this afternoon."

"Yeah?"

"How interested would you be in traveling over to the Middle East for the USO?"

Alison felt her brows rise sharply. "Only a lot!"

"Good, because they want you to go over there and do some shows between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I gave them Darren's number so he could work it out."

Without waiting another moment, Ali snatched her phone from the table and selected her manager's name from the contact list.

"Hello, Alison!" Darren's soft tenor held a chuckle. "Did Ronnie finally get around to telling you about the USO call?"

"Yeah, the baby is making her a forgetful bitch," Ali chuckled and winked at her friend. "So, where do we stand on this?"

"It looks like we can do a mini-tour. Two acoustic and speaking shows in Germany, one in Italy, two in Afghanistan, and one in Iran."

Ali nodded absentmindedly to herself. "You know, we should totally do a tour of just USO centers."

"We could do that, but we would lose money. Unless we got the right sponsors or something. Maybe break even."

"Not everything is about making money, Darren." Ali collected the cookies she had made earlier, replacing the now empty dinner plates on the coffee table. "Sometimes, you just do something because it makes you feel good to make others feel special."

Her manager chuckled quietly. "Have I told you lately that I just love working for you?"

Just then, the house was buffeted by a gust of wind the rattled the windows. Ali hurriedly said goodbye and got off the phone just before the lights flickered and went out.


	21. Something Wicked This Way Comes

"_The storm, now known as Candice, unexpectedly picked up speed once it hit the gulf and has been upgraded to a level 3 hurricane." _The weatherman on the television looked concerned in that professional way that many take years to accomplish. _"Winds are clocking in at a sustained 200 kilometers – or 124 miles – an hour, with heavy rain and high surfs occurring throughout the region. Mississippi and Alabama are reporting extensive flooding, with Florida facing the brunt of the wind damage. Many are left in the dark, with the number of households without power expected to number in the tens of thousands."_

While Alison ate fajitas in Florida, Roman stood in catering, staring at the news report being played on the large television. Dean and Seth were speaking to him, but every sound not coming from the newscaster's mouth had faded into a kind of white noise. When the news moved on to other – more local – features, Roman glowered and yanked his phone from his pocket.

He had gotten three recorded messages telling him that his call could not be completed before Dean managed to lead him back to the locker room.

"Saw the news report." CM Punk looked up from his stretches as the door opened. "Any word from down south?"

Seth shook his head quickly as Roman growled and hit redial yet again. "Can't get anyone."

AJ poked her head in to make sure no one was naked before stepping into the room, her phone pressed to her ear. "Bayley says things are getting pretty bad down there."

"You got through?!" Roman whipped around to face her, unconsciously frowning at the small woman.

AJ nodded hurriedly. "She says they're all safe there, though Corey, Enzo, and Colin were up in Pensacola doing interviews and appearances. The news says it's hitting worse over there."

"Hey," Dean nodded toward Roman's phone. "Do you have the guys' numbers? After this shit passes, they could go check on Little Red."

Sending them all identical texts with his request and Alison's address, Roman hoped that at least one would get through. All three were stand up guys, and Alison would be safe with any one of them. If he couldn't be there himself, he would feel better knowing that she had more backup than a few hired guns.

When, fifteen minutes later, Bayley's phone disconnected from AJ and he still hadn't heard from the NXT stars, Roman began pacing angrily. Kicking a chair across the room to commemorate the forty five minute point, he growled dangerously and began swinging elbows at one of the metal cabinets. When a knock sounded on the door ten minutes later, he all but roared in frustration.

"Just checking on everyone." Triple H glanced around the room and then turned stormy eyes on Dean.

Holding his hands up, the younger man shook his head. "The mess is not my fault this time, man."

"Hey, Reigns," Hunter raised his brows. "You need to exercise a family leave?"

Spinning to face his boss, it dawned on Roman that he had forgotten all about that option, and he nearly groaned at his own stupidity. "Yes."

"Jericho is gonna be heading out as well. I'll get you on the same flight."

"Shit, man, thanks."

Shaking his head, Hunter chuckled. "You two are both too distracted with this bullshit weather. It wouldn't be safe to put you with anyone in the ring right now, and I'm not willing to risk someone getting hurt during a house show. We'll need you to be in Calgary on Sunday, but that'll give you three days to get things settled. I expect to see you both there unless there's some sort of emergency situation that requires you to be out longer."

Shaking his hand, Roman thanked him and began to hurriedly change just as Chris Jericho strode into the room and began shucking his ring gear as well. "Hear anything, man?"

"No, but my wife's six months pregnant, and I'm not hanging around here with my thumb up ass while she's down in Tallahassee with one kid and another on the way. Hear anything from Alison?"

"No." Zipping his bag, he raked his hair into a low ponytail. "I should've made her come on the road with me."

"It's not like anyone thought this storm would be as bad as it is, man." Seth attempted to sooth his distraught friend.

"Here, Rome." Dean relieved him of the large duffle before motioning to Jericho's as well. "I'll keep your shit safe so you don't have to check anything on the plane. Just take what you need for the trip."

Roman sighed. "Thanks, man."

A quick knock echoed through the room a scant moment before Joey, one of Hunter's assistants, entered. "I'm really sorry guys, but it looks like the closest I can possibly get you on a plane is Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport in Little Rock."

"Fuckin' really?!" Roman's face promised lasting pain if the other man was screwing with him. His eyes were nearly black, his nostrils flared, and his jaw flexed dangerously.

Joey took a step back toward the door, fear showing in his wide eyes. "Sorry, but everything closer is shut down, even to private flights. I **barely **got you two seats on this flight as it is!"

Jericho nodded, his voice rushed and breathy. "Yeah, fine. We'll drive from there."

"The plane leaves in an hour and a half, and I've got orders to drive you there myself so you don't have to putz around with cars and shit."

Sharing quick hugs with Dean and Seth, Roman slapped Punk on the shoulder on his way out.

O:O:O:O:O:

_Six fucking hours on a god damn plane. _The two men strode through the airport, their glowers keeping anyone from approaching. Roman had hated being forced to sit still for so long, knowing that they were literally moving as fast as modern technology and the disagreeable weather would allow. It didn't help alleviate the feeling that he was failing his family and his woman by being so far away.

"Want to split the driving?" Jericho's lighter voice cut through the tension.

"You take first. You've got a few hours more past Pensacola, and you'll need some rest in between." Neither man had gotten any sleep on the plane and Roman didn't want him crashing on roads that were already guaranteed to be sketchy.

The girl at the rental place frowned when she learned where the two men were planning to drive. "Once you get close to the coast, it's most likely going to be to everything but emergency and utility vehicles."

Roman glowered as Jericho filled out the paperwork. "Lady, no offense, but there is no way in hell that some piece of shit little cop is going to turn me away from getting to my family."

"No, you don't understand! They're shutting down the major roads south of Jackson, Mississippi."

"Then I'll fuckin' **walk**," Roman snarled.

The poor woman shrank back hastily and went through the required motions to get the two men their car. She gave a shaky sigh of relief when they finally stepped away from the desk and just barely managed a half-hearted farewell at the last moment.

Roman switched his cell on as soon as they were past the rental desk and moving through the covered lot, his backpack weighing heavily on his broad shoulders. As the phone booted, there were several missed calls from his parents' phones and a few texts from friends. Corey had texted him to let him know that at least one of his messages had gone through earlier, and that the men would be over at Ali's as soon as they were permitted to leave the small back room that served as their hotel's hurricane shelter.

While Roman was thrilled to have friends who were willing to check on his girlfriend, he couldn't shake the feeling that the whole thing could've easily been avoided. _Wouldn't have to ask them to do that if Ali had just gotten on a damn plane two days ago._

That text had been received two hours ago, so Roman concentrated on trying to get through to his parents and Jericho's wife as the blonde focused on driving as fast as he dared in the steady rain and buffeting wind. Even though they were nowhere near hurricane strength, the wind gusts were still potent enough to leave the midsize SUV shuddering on the asphalt.

"Hello?" Jericho's wife answered nearly a hundred redials later.

The men shared a thankful smile before the older of the two asked after her and the kids.

"It's so great to hear your voice!" Michelle's soft soprano was watery with relief. "We're fine. We ended up going to Bob and Rachel's down the street, since they were way more prepared. We're here with them and a few other people."

"You just stay there, baby. I'm hoping to be home in about seven hours, but that depends on getting through." The phone started popping and filling with static. "Think the phone's gonna drop out soon, but you just sit tight."

With words of love, the two hung up and Roman went back to dialing his parents and Ali by turns. The muscle memory had gotten to be so automatic, that he nearly hung up on his father when he finally answered. The older man chastised his son for leaving work on such short notice, though he understood that making sure his family was safe came first. He had also been appeased when he learned that the idea of them leaving had come from Triple H himself.

"We're good here. Little bit of damage, but don't think it's too bad." The older man's concern grew more pronounced and his voice rumbled through the phone. "How is your girl? It hit hard here, but we're not right there on the beach like she is."

"Don't know." Roman shut his car door hard as he stood and began pacing around the covered part of the lot as Jericho took care of filling the gas tank. "I can't get her on the phone. Some of the guys happened to be close, so they're gonna check on her."

"Well, you just keep trying. I'm sure it's just downed cell towers. You should probably go to see her first. We're okay here, and will probably just go on to bed. It's late, and the power will be off for a while." Someone spoke on the other end of the phone, and Sika chuckled quietly. "Your mother says she'll be awake until we know what's going on with the girl."

Roman nodded, dodging the spots of rain allowed in by gaps in the awning and grateful for his mother's concern. "It'll take a while to get there and figure out what's going on."

"Well, you let us know as soon as you can."

Agreeing and hanging up, Roman jogged into the store for coffee and something to snack on as he drove. He was pleasantly surprised to find fresh coffee and hot breakfast sandwiches made of biscuits and sausage waiting for him. The man behind the counter chuckled and informed him that the station's generators made them the go-to place for locals to meet up after storms when Roman asked. Purchasing four of the sandwiches and two energy drinks on top of the coffee, the powerhouse of the Shield jogged back to the car.

Plugging his phone into the charger, Roman told Jericho to eat two of the sandwiches and then get some sleep. Now that the older man knew his family was safe, the adrenaline was fading fast. Roman cracked the window for fresh air and drove carefully through the rainy night as he finished the food quickly and sipped his coffee. As the winds had calmed greatly since they left Little Rock, Roman pushed the SUV harder in an attempt to shave off some of the remaining travel time.

He hit redial every few minutes, hoping to reach Alison's still unresponsive cell phone.

Red and blue flashing lights filled the windshield as dawn turned the eastern horizon into a conflagration of oranges and reds around the still-present clouds. The woman at the car rental service had been mistaken, and the two had reached the far side of Mobile, Alabama, before running into a roadblock. Roman leaned over and jostled Jericho's shoulder just before coming to a stop in front of a barrier. The rain had faded during the early morning hours, now coming down in sporadic waves of drizzles and soft showers.

A police officer skirted the barrier and moved woodenly up to Roman's window. "Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to turn around."

Fully rolling down his window, Roman leaned out to be heard over the softly falling rain and the other officers' quiet conversations. "We need to get through."

"Sir, it is unsafe to drive south from here. I have orders to turn away everyone not here in official capacity."

Roman's brows lowered, and he snarled quietly. "Look. My friend here needs to get to his pregnant wife in Tallahassee, and I need to find my girlfriend who lives just south of Pensacola."

Leaning down, the officer surveyed Chris's tired eyes before focusing on Roman once again. "Look, I understand. I'd be going insane if my wife was somewhere and I couldn't get to her."

"Then **please **just let us through!" He gripped the steering wheel, twisting his hands convulsively.

The other man sighed and rubbed at red-rimmed eyes. "Hold up a second."

Stormy grey eyes followed the officer's progress back to the other men in blue. "Think they'd chase us if I just blow through?"

Chris chuckled darkly as the police spoke among themselves. "Kinda hard to get past them when they have their cars parked all over the damn road."

They watched as the young officer turned and motioned for them to join him on the other side of the barricades. Glancing at each other, the men climbed from the car and trudged over. A few of the officers nudged each other and motioned to the Superstars, though they did not approach.

The first officer motioned to an older, slightly overweight man. "This is Captain Martin."

The Captain tipped his hat at the men and unfolded a laminated map on the hood of his car. "Jones here says you two need to get to Pensacola and Tallahassee?"

"Yeah," Roman rumbled quietly, still uncertain if he was going to have to fight these men. "His wife and my girlfriend are there."

Nodding, the older man traced a finger along interstate 10. "If you follow 10, and don't take any side bullshit, you should be okay."

Jericho raised a questioning brow. "You're just going to let us go without a fight?"

"Son, does it look like I want to start a fight with two very big, very angry men?" Captain Martin gave a mirthless chuckle. "Hell, we all know how that would end up, and I got plenty of shit to shovel without having to deal with that paperwork. We all know you two would just find some bullshit side street and then get stuck in some flooded stream. At least this way I know I didn't contribute to that."

Thanking the officers profusely, the two wrestlers clamored back into their rental and waited as patiently as possible for the cruisers to be cleared from their path.


	22. Arrogance and Ego

**Special thanks to Alisi824 for helping me out on this one!**

Alison spent the night playing Cards Against Humanity with the guys and strumming songs on one of her acoustic guitars. They lost cell service about twenty minutes after the power failed, and she didn't want to use more power from the generator than necessary until they knew what the fuel situation would be the next morning. She had twenty gallons stored in the utility room off the garage, but decided to only use the generator for the necessary kitchen appliances just to be safe.

Once the storm passed, and the house has suffered only minor cosmetic damage, she sent her men out just after full daylight with a few jugs of water each to survey the neighborhood and help where they could. A few families with small children had been caught without enough milk, and Ali was happy to send off some to help them get through. The older couple that lived across the street was surveying a tree that had fallen through their garage roof, and Alison shoved her feet into a pair of boots in order to climb onto the roof and spread a tarp before weighing it down to keep it from flying up in the light breeze.

A local news crew was rolling through the area, surveying the damage and looking for a place to set up for their morning report when they spotted the famous singer tying ropes through the grommets in the tarp and smoothing the heavy grey material down over the roof. Acting quickly, they stopped and focused on her sure, precise movements while the reporter spoke with the owners of the home. Seeing the camera, Ali mentally shrugged and continued on with her task. She was not willing to climb down before the job was finished, as that would mean that she would have to pick her way back across the dicey roof twice more.

When she hoped down off the ladder, Alison accepted a bottle of water but waved Ronnie off when the other woman offered to clean up her smudged face and scuffed hands. If these news people wanted to speak with her, they could do it without her making herself up.

"We're here with international singing sensation, Alison Hedland." The reporter was a tall man, his shoulders wide in his slightly rumpled suit. "We were driving around when we saw her working to cover a neighbor's roof with a large tarp! First, how are you doing? Anyone hurt? And, second, why are you out here doing this sort of thing?"

"I'm good. We got through the storm just fine and wanted to make sure everyone else was taken care of." Alison smiled at the camera. "Everyone who is well enough and able should be out helping their neighbors. This storm caught a lot of people by surprise, and they could probably use a hand. Get out of your house and make some new friends."

When the small white truck belonging to the community's security guards pulled up to her gate an hour later, Hawk and Irish jogged down the drive to meet it. When they returned, it was with Corey, Enzo, and Colin from NXT following. Ali hugged Corey in greeting and then shook hands with the others as they explained how they had each received a text from Roman and that they thought he would be there as soon as he was able.

Shaking her head at her boyfriend's antics, Alison had simply sighed and offered the three men some breakfast.

O:O:O:O:O:O:

Roman waved to Chris as the blonde drove out of the apartment's parking lot before slowly making his way across town. All over, traffic lights were lying on the ground or dangling uselessly from their poles. Trees were lying on their sides, roots exposed to the morning air. He kept the radio off, listening for sirens in the quiet streets and exchanging waves with those who were out cleaning up. The bridge from the mainland to the island was free of damage; it's concrete and reinforced steel having stood up to the storm easily.

Roman picked his way around downed trees and spots of standing water until he arrived at the gatehouse guarding Alison's neighborhood. The older man sitting in the small building smiled through the cracked window in greeting before pushing himself slowly to his feet. As Roman watched, he limped out to manually push open the heavy gate, groaning under the weight.

Even though he was anxious to see the damage for himself, Roman stopped to question the guard. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, yeah. Few roofs will need reshingled, and there's no electricity for the whole island, but no one was hurt too badly."

Jerking his chin at the other man's leg, Roman raised an eyebrow. "Are you hurt?"

"No, no. Nothing like that." The security guard chuckled like old men do when asked about their aches and pains. "Too much boxing when I was younger. Makes my hips and knees pop and ache when it rains."

Nodding in response, Roman waved as he eased past the gate and crawled along the road until he came up to Alison's large home. Irish jogged down the drive after Roman beeped his horn, letting him know that Corey, Colin, and Enzo had been there since early that morning and opening the gate for him. Seeing the bits of roof that would need new shingles and a few windows on the top floor that would need replaced, he frowned darkly and parked in the driveway beside Corey's old Impala.

Alison was waiting in the open door, a shawl over her shoulders working where the tank top and sleep shorts failed to ward off the slight chill of the early fall morning. Launching herself off the top step, she wrapped her arms around Roman's neck and her legs around his thick torso and kissed him deeply, happy to have him home after such a tense night and early morning. Chuckling, he grasped her silky thighs and strode into the house.

Pulling away, he frowned at her pasty complexion and the dark circles under her eyes. "You okay?"

"Yep, I'm all good." She nodded quickly and hopped down. "The generator is running the fridge, freezer, and lights, so we're sitting pretty. Probably use the pizza oven or grill for dinner, though. Those still work fine and don't need electricity."

After greeting his friends and Alison's crew, he patted Grom's head affectionately. "This one do okay?"

"He was a little wound up and not happy with the extra noise, but he didn't cower or anything."

Roman nodded. "Next time, you guys won't have to deal with this shit."

"Why not?"

"Because you'll just come out on the road with me for a few days." He shrugged. "Problem solved."

"Well, maybe." Ali frowned. "We were fine here. No flooding and the generator is doing its job."

Roman frowned darkly. "You got lucky, this time."

"No, we didn't. The house is well built, and we have plenty of supplies."

"The fuckin' roof is half off and the windows upstairs need replaced!"

Ali scoffed and crossed her arms. "It needs a few shingles, and there are four windows that are cracked."

Roman was seething now, his jaw working and flexing against his anger. Why couldn't she see that he had been worried sick?! "Alison, you can't just ignore that something really bad could happen to you when I'm not around. I won't allow it!"

"You won't -!" Ali started, but quickly clenched her jaw and stormed past the speechless onlookers and into the kitchen to begin preparing lunch for her company, glowering when he followed. "Who the fuck died and made your Samoan ass king?! I am a grown-ass woman, and I **do not **have to ask permission from you or anyone else for any-fuckin'-thing!"

"You should've listened to what I said on Tuesday and just come up to Canada, where you could be safe!"

Ali snorted and began slamming various lunch meats for sandwiches down on the kitchen counter. Did he really expect her to just follow him around while he lived his life? "And you need to learn that not everything is up to you! No one knew it was going to be all that bad until yesterday morning, and then they only thought it was going to be a level two! Plus, there were zero flights available!"

It was Roman's turn to snort in derision. "Like you couldn't get in your car and drive north?!"

"You mean on the highways with hundreds of thousands of other people all trying to get out? Yeah, I think not." With a shake of her head, Ali dismissed that notion. "I would rather weather the storm in my own home where I know the layout and the situation at hand than in some hotel with no bottled water and people who have no clue what they're doing. I have plenty of supplies here, I knew I could handle the situation, and I did not think it was necessary to pack up and run away."

"And I'm telling you that you should've done as I said! A woman needs to listen to her man."

There were quiet gasps and a few 'holy shit's from the assembled group, but the two combatants ignored them.

"Oh my God! Do you even hear yourself right now?!

"The last time I checked, this was the United god-damned States of America, not the Roman Fuckin' Empire, and women are free to make their own decisions and run their own lives! Did you know we can even own our own property and vote now?" Ali shook her head and slammed the refrigerator door. "You best check that fuckin' ego of yours or get the fuck out!"

Slamming his fist on the counter, he growled and moved to circle the island.

A sharp warning bark and low growl brought him up short. Grom had planted himself in front of Ali's legs. The puppy's ears were nearly flat to his head and pushed back. As Roman watched, Grom bared his teeth and growled lowly as his paws found purchase on the tiled floor and his head dropped menacingly. Roman shifted, and Grom barked again, backing up until his hind legs bumped into Alison's shins.

Clenching his jaw, Roman sucked a breath in through his teeth in an attempt to calm his temper and think straight. "Are you saying we're done?"

"No, I'm saying that you need to cool down and rethink how you're talkin' to me!"

With a stiff nod, he turned on his heel and stormed through the house and out the front door.

Excusing herself and Grom, Alison turned lunch over to Ronnie and trudged up the stairs to her room. She spent the rest of the day snuggling her protective, loving puppy and listening to her guards playing video games with the visiting NXT wrestlers.


	23. Aftermath

**THANK YOU to all the reviewers last chapter (10 reviews for one chapter is the new record, BTW)!**

**Also, a HUGE thank you to angelsdee327, who has taken on the sometimes daunting task of beta reading this. (She doesn't realize that's she's going to have lots of questions now, muahaha!)**

Alison's phone came alive with missed calls, messages, and voicemails just before 5:00, signaling that whatever cell tower that had been damaged was replaced or somehow once again made operational. Seeing a few from Roman, she glanced through them before realizing that they had all been sent the night before. Shrugging, she hit the button to call her mother's cell and waited as the phone rang twice.

"Alison?" The older woman's voice was anxious and hurried, growing louder as she spoke, as if she were still in the process of raising the phone to her ear as she answered. "Honey, are you okay?"

"Yeah, mom," Alison smiled as she curled into the pillows more comfortably. "We're all okay."

"You don't sound right. What's happened?"

Ali snorted a laugh. "A level 3 hurricane."

"No, there's something else going on. And don't try to tell me there isn't. A mom can tell."

Ali sighed and shook her head. There was no point in arguing with her mother sometimes. "Roman yelled at me, and was really mean, and I don't understand what even started it."

"Okay," the background noise disappeared as if Anna-Kate had switched off a television to better focus on what was being said. "Tell me what happened."

The whole ordeal came tumbling out of Alison's mouth so fast that she was forced to repeat herself more than once. She started with the phone calls and conversations before the storm hit where Roman went from confident in her to trying to convince her to go to Canada with him instead of staying. Moving on, she discussed how the storm had moved through and what her, Ronnie, and the men had done to pass the time.

When she reached the part where Roman sent some people to check on her because he could reach them and not her and then the argument, her mother groaned and then chuckled softly.

"Oh, you two really fouled things up, didn't you?"

Ali frowned before leading Grom down the stairs and out the back door for some potty time. "What do you mean? **He **shouldn't have said that bullshit to me!"

"Watch your mouth, young lady." There was no heat to the admonition, and she chuckled along with her daughter. "And he shouldn't have said some of that, and especially not in front of company, but you need to see things from his point of view."

"And what is his point of view?" Ali pouted as she huffed.

Anna-Kate chuckled. "Baby, he's a man. And not just any sort of man, but a man born and bred to be a warrior. He needs to feel as if you can depend on him to stay safe, and as if he has control of his surroundings."

"But I have Irish and the guys for things I can't handle."

"And I bet that chafes his butt, too!"

Ali snorted a laugh at her mother's language. "Mom!"

"Well, it has to! Your father wouldn't like to think I was being looked after by some other man while he was deployed, and I'm sure Roman has some issues trusting that those boys can watch over you well enough when he's not around.

"Honey, men like your father and brothers – men like Roman – need to feel like they are whatever they see men as. Men work hard, and take care of their women, and don't let other people make decisions for them. He probably expected you to be a whimpering mess when he arrived, and you weren't. And we both know that men react better to being angry than they do to being sad or worried."

"So . . . what? I'm not allowed to be angry at him for saying that I should just listen to whatever he says and do what he wants without question?!"

Laughing, her mother tried a different tactic. "Alison, how many times do you think I had similar conversations with your father?"

"What do you mean? You two never fight, and he always listens to what you had to say. He even told me the other day that it's pointless to argue with you because you're always right."

"You're right; we never fought . . . where you or your brothers could see. Never, **never** undermine them in front of others, but keep those thoughts to yourself until you're alone." Anna-Kate sighed. "Baby, it took a good many years of gently leading, quiet suggestions, and proving myself for your father to finally start listening to what I had to say without first thinking that it wasn't as important as his thoughts because I'm a woman. By now, he's just learned to pick his battles better."

"Really?"

"Really. Marriage, and any relationship, really, is always going to involve a great deal of compromise, and you don't always get what you want."

Ali sighed. "So, I was wrong?"

"Yes, but so was he. It **is **possible for more than one person to be wrong at a time." With a motherly chuckle, she soon continued. "You need to call him over to talk without others being there. Make dinner. He probably hasn't had a good meal today."

Sighing, Alison agreed and called Grom back inside to send everyone else on their way.

O:O:O:O:O:O:

"Shit, are you kidding me?!" Chris's voice managed to tiptoe along the razor's edge of disbelieving anger, though amusement leaked in with his sardonic chuckle.

He had called to check in with Roman and make sure everyone was safe, and now they were discussing the events that had occurred since they parted company. Roman had just told his friend about the argument he and Alison had had a few hours before.

"I was just so pissed off that I couldn't think straight."

"Dude, I get it. I really do. But, has she seen what it's like outside of her little area? Does she know how bad you thought things were?"

"No, not really." Roman sighed and leaned against the driver's door. "I mean, she knows there are some trees down and shit, but that's about it."

"So she doesn't understand why you were so worried about her? I mean, what did she say when you told her that you were afraid that she was hurt or worse when you couldn't reach her?"

"Uh-" Roman frowned. "Fuuuuuuuuuuuuck."

"You didn't tell her?! What the hell, man?"

Growling, the Samoan wrenched his door open and slumped behind the wheel. "The guys were there, and she just seemed perfectly okay, and it pissed me off."

"So you decided to argue with the woman you love in front of guys in developmental because . . . what? She didn't fall at your feet or cling to you in tears like some damsel in distress?" Chris snorted. "Do you realize how ridiculous that sounds?"

"Well, now it does! Then, it made perfect fuckin' sense."

Chris snorted, and Roman could just picture him rolling his eyes. "Yeah, okay. You **do **realize that you're dating a woman who can handle herself in most situations, right? I mean, she was doing a really great job of living her life before she even **met** you."

"Well, yeah, but -."

"No, no 'but's. Alison has her own successful career, her own friends, employees, and enough money to take care of herself for the rest of her life." Chris chuckled. "She has spent quite a while thinking that she doesn't **need **a man to take care of her, and she's right on most levels."

Roman sighed. "Yeah, thanks."

"Here's the deal, man. It's the 21st century, and women don't need to depend on men unless they choose to. It's up to us to show them that: 1) We can be depended on and trusted to always be there even when things are fucked up; 2) We're not going to throw their weaknesses back in their faces like assholes; and 3) that we respect their abilities, thoughts, and desires."

"And how the fuck do you know all this?"

"Because my wife has never been shy about telling me where and when I screw up. It's one of the reasons I love her so much." Chuckling fondly, he returned to the conversation. "And what'd you do after you left her place?"

"Drove back to my parents' place and helped them sort out some of the mess, and now I'm talking to you."

"Look. You need to talk to her, tell her how you felt, and then understand that you should make suggestions, and not give orders. Loving suggestions are usually appreciated way, **way **more."

A beep interrupted the conversation, and Roman glanced at the cell's display, frowning when Ali's picture flashed at him from the screen. "Look, Ali's calling. I'll talk to you later."

Hanging up with his friend, he answered his girlfriend's call warily. "Hello?"

"Hey," Ali knew she sounded sullen. "Any chance you could come over for a bit?"

"Yeah, I can be there in a few."

"Okay." Ali sighed. "The electricity has just come back on, so you can let yourself through the gate."

Roman followed the familiar route, a few more lights were working now and there were fewer trees in the roads than there had been that morning, and let himself through the gate, smiling when the second garage door opened for him. Letting himself into the house, he felt his lips quirking up as he heard Ali singing softly while opening up the shutters on the ground floor. There was something cooking on the stove that smelled of tomatoes and garlic, and Grom gave a happy bark before coming over to greet him, his earlier aggression apparently forgotten.

"Hey, pup." Roman squatted down and rubbed behind the dog's ear just the way he likes best. "Who's a good boy?"

Ali came around the corner and smiled softly at the sight of the two of them. "Hungry, baby?"

Roman nodded, hating the uneasiness in the air. "Yeah, I could eat."

Waving him into the kitchen, Ali stirred the sauce carefully before dipping some out and blowing it. Holding the spoon up to his lips, she smiled softly. "Good?"

Tasting it, he smiled. "Perfect."

Sighing at the awkward, stilted conversation, Ali poured a hefty glass of wine for her and retrieved a beer from the fridge for him. "So, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you like that, and especially not in front of other people."

"Yeah, well, I shouldn't have gotten so pissed off."

"So, should we start from the beginning or what? Because, honestly? I have no clue what you were so mad about." Sipping the wine, Ali frowned in thought. "Was it the other guys? Because you sent them over. And the house has a few minor things that need repaired, but none of it was life threatening."

Taking her hand, Roman turned down the sauce so it didn't bubble over while they were away from the stove and led her over to the living room. Turning on the local news, he sank down onto the couch and pulled her down into his lap. As the couple watched, scenes from the night before and earlier that day played out in front of their eyes.

"Wow," Ali gasped softly at the footage of trees being ripped from the ground and waves jumping over beach walls. "I had no clue that it was that bad!"

Roman played with the fraying hem of her shorts and sighed. "The closest flight Chris and I could get was to Little Rock."

"Chris?"

"Jericho. His pregnant wife and kid were over in Tallahassee." At her nod, he continued. "We took leave from the live events, since we were both too preoccupied to risk harming someone on accident, and flew six hours there, rented a car, and then split the eight hour drive. He was able to talk to his wife, and I got in touch with my parents, but not you.

"For eight hours, we drove through heavy rain and pretty bad wind on the tail end of the storm, and just kept hitting redial. I knew Corey would call if something bad had happened and you were at the hospital or some shit, but I just wanted to get to you. We had to convince cops outside of Mobile, Alabama to let us through, and then weave around trees, wrecked cars, and standing water until we got here."

"Oh, Roman." Ali sighed, knowing that she had read the whole thing wrong and hadn't stopped to think about what he had been through while she was just sitting around, playing games and riding the storm out.

"And then, you were just fine and shit. Like, you kissed me hello but acted like this whole thing was no big deal, and I just got so motherfucking pissed!"

"But I didn't know any of that!" Pulling away, Ali leaned back to focus on his stormy grey eyes. "All I knew was that you had managed to get in touch with the guys and sent them to check on me like I needed babysitters, and then you just showed up and started yelling orders."

"I didn't mean it to seem like I was sending babysitters."

Ali snorted. "Well, I already had a three man security detail and Ronnie here. Why would I need anyone else unless they were there to keep an eye on me for you?"

"Huh," Roman was quiet for a moment while he really thought about his motives. "I guess, maybe, I don't trust your guards because I don't really know them."

"I'm just gonna keep that one to myself. Those guys have been with me for a long time, and I don't want you insulting them."

He sighed and nodded. "I'll try to get to know them better, so I'm more at ease with what they do."

"I should have told you how worried I was first, huh?" He wove his fingers through hers and began twisting them around each other, enjoying the way her skin felt against his. "And I shouldn't have spouted off about you needing to just follow orders because I say so."

"Yeah, that shit was fucked up." Ali snorted. "I was waiting for you to pop off with some shit about how I don't need to work, and that I should just be barefoot and pregnant."

"Oh, Jesus Christ!" Shaking his head, he chuckled at his own stupidity. "Did I really sound that bad?"

Alison stood, crossed her arms over her chest, flexed her biceps, and tried to impersonate his rumbling voice. "'You should've done as I said! A woman needs to listen to her man.'"

"Oh, fuck." Leaning forward, he rested his forearms on his thighs and shook his head. "No wonder you threw me the fuck out! I can't believe I actually said that shit. I'm so sorry, Babygirl."

Ali sank down on the edge of the coffee table so that she sat squarely facing him. "But, I think that – deep down – that's what you want. You want me to simply do as you say with no questions and no input, and I can't do that. I'm not a Stepford Wife, and I'm never going to be absolutely perfect."

Shaking his head, Roman grasped her hands in both of his. "No, that's not what I want. I want a woman who is gonna love me enough to call me out on my stupid male bullshit. Just, maybe not in front of other people."

Remembering her mother's advice, Alison smiled. "So, I'll try to keep the yelling down to a minimum if there are people around. I shouldn't have called you on your egotistical, male-dominating bullshit in front of your friends."

"And I should've told you about how worried I was before jumping down your throat about things."

Nodding, Ali leaned forward and kissed him softly. "C'mon, Big Man. Let's get the pasta cooked so we can eat."

Dragging her forward so that she straddled his thighs, Roman smirked. "I'd rather just eat you."

Giggling and rolling her eyes, Ali pressed a sweet kiss to his lips before sliding out of his grasp. "Spaghetti and meatballs first."

Roman growled, but followed along behind her, keeping his large hands on her small waist as she finished up her cooking.

They ate at the kitchen counter, hooking their legs in each other's bar stools and making small talk about their last few days. Roman gave a booming laugh when Ali slurped a long noodle, lashing her nose and chin and leaving streaks of tomato sauce. She convinced him to give it a try, and nearly fell off the stool laughing when he crossed his eyes to watch himself.

As soon as they were finished eating, Roman scooped her into his arms and kissed her.

"Baby," Ali protested. "I've got garlic breath!"

He was striding effortlessly up the stairs. "Am I complaining?"

". . . No."

Nodding, he came up on the bed on his knees and laid her out against the pillows. "Then, hush."

Giggling, Alison kissed him softly and slipped the elastic from the base of his low bun and waited patiently while he unbraided her curls. Roman slipped her shirt off with soft kisses and slow drags of his tongue over her ribs, her shorts soon followed. He was so focused on her satin skin and kissing along the freckles splattered across her collarbones that he let out a shout of surprise when Alison planted her foot and twisted in order to flip them.

Ali giggled at his shocked expression and began exploring his strong jaw and the cords of his neck with open mouthed kisses. She pulled his shirt up and slid back to his thighs so that he could sit up and draw it over his head. Pushing him back down, she made herself comfortable on his chest, groaning at the taste of his salty skin on her tongue.

"Babygirl," Roman groaned and slid his arms around the small beauty in order to rid her of her bra.

Alison loved the feel of his massive hands in her curls and sliding over her back and shoulders. Pressing more kisses over his abs, she tongued his navel and focused her eyes on his while working the button and zipper of his jeans. When his obligingly lifted his hips, she rid him of the rest of his clothes in one long, slow pull.

Coming back up his legs, she kissed and licked over his thighs until he looked down at her. As soon as his serene grey eyes met hers, she licked his hard length from base to tip. He hissed and tipped his head back as she took him into her mouth and began working him down her throat. Alison loved the feel of him sliding over her tongue and nudging the back of her throat. He was hard as steel, with skin so soft she moaned.

"Shit, Ali," he hissed and sank his fingers through her hair to cup her head.

Pulling away, she took his hands and pressed them down into the mattress. "Hu-uh, Big Man. You just keep those right there for me."

With that, she began working him in earnest. One hand fisted the few inches of his hard length that wouldn't fit in her mouth while the other fondled his heavy sack. When he began shifting in time to the rhythm of her mouth, she had to remove her hands and press down on his hips. With a groan, he lifted his hands to her hair once again.

Pulling back, she slapped his hands away. "Get those hands down, or we're done here."

"I'm fuckin' dying here, Alison."

She snorted a laugh and tongued his balls. "Nah, you'll be fine."

"Shit!" Roman's brain filled with static as she once again took him down her throat. "Get up on me and make me cum."

Knowing how wet she was for the man thrashing below her, Ali grinned wickedly. "Ask nice."

He growled dangerously and fisted the sheets as she took him down as far as she could, humming around him. "**Please**, Babygirl!"

Taking pity on him, she slid up his body and kissed him deeply before shifting and slowly easing down onto his turgid length.

Roman moaned and began wrapping the cotton around his fists to keep from raising his hands. Ali worked her hips, settling into a slow, smooth grind that had Roman cursing and moaning. She kept at it, rolling and shifting against him until she found the perfect angle to press her clit against him.

She was quivering, her legs beginning to spasm, when she leaned down and grasped his wrists. Placing them on her hips, she smiled as he began guiding her movements, nearly lifting her completely free of him before slamming her back down. When she finally let go, her back bowed so far that her head nearly touched his knees.

Pulling her back up, he kissed her deeply before he rolled her under him and began worshipping her with slow, drugging kisses. He cupped her breasts in his callused palms, lapping at her nipples and luxuriating in their weight. Threading her fingers through his onyx waves, Alison began whimpering and moaning his name. Unable to deny himself the pleasure for a moment longer, Roman shifted until the head of his staff nudged down to her slick, grasping entrance and plunged into her waiting heat.

Alison didn't climax. She detonated.

She came gasping and screaming under him, and Roman followed quickly behind.


	24. Living Canvas

"I can't believe you convinced me to come to an NXT show on a rare weekend off." Roman chuckled as he held open the back entrance door to the NXT performance space at Full Sail University. "We could've just stayed home."

"Well, yeah, we could have. But is it so bad that I want to go on a date with my boyfriend to watch some new friends perform?"

"Nah, I guess not." He chuckled and shook his head. "Besides, I get to show you off in that sexy fuckin' dress."

Ali smirked, running her hands along the sides of her one shouldered, tight black dress. "I thought you wouldn't be too thrilled with it at first. You used to grumble about stuff like that."

"It's not the shortest skirt I've seen you in, you know. Besides, I know who you're going home with." Roman chuckled and held her away from him with one arm around her waist so he could look her up and down with a smirk. "Those heels make me want to just take you back to bed!"

Alison giggled and glanced down at the mid-thigh skirt and the five inch, peep toe, Louboutin's. "I'll have to remember that."

"You just remember who you're here with, and we'll be just fine." Tightening his arm around her waist, he guided her through the back halls.

Reaching up, she kissed the underside of his jaw. "Oh, I know who I'm here with, and who is taking me home, and just who is going to have me bent over screaming his name later."

Growling, Roman leveled a wicked grin at her. "Woman, you can't say shit like that when we're in public."

"Why," she raised a brow just as they reached catering. "Does it make things . . . hard?"

Roman's roar of surprised laughter drew the attention of everyone in the room, and a few people rose to come over and say hello. Alison smiled and shook hands with those she didn't know and said hello to others. A Japanese man, not much taller than she was in her heels, came up to them with Enzo and smiled politely.

Enzo slung his arm around the other man. "Hideo Itami, meet Roman Reigns and Alison Hedland."

"Hello." His voice was soft and his smile genuine. "It's very nice to meet you both."

Roman smiled and shook his hand. "Nice to meet you, too."

"Konbanwa," Alison said quietly, enjoying his surprised smile. "Ogenki desu ka?"

"Hai, genki desu." Giving a slight bow, his smile grew. "Anata wa?"

Thinking for a moment, Ali gave up with a laugh and a shake of her head. "I'm fine. Sorry, I'm really rusty!"

Roman shared a surprised look with Corey and Enzo. "You speak Japanese, Babygirl?"

"Just a bit, and not very well."

"That's pretty fuckin' awesome." Corey grinned. "Where did you learn?"

"When we were stationed in Okinawa. I picked up on languages a lot better when I was younger."

Whatever Roman was going to say was interrupted by the sound of Bauhaus's "Bela Lugosi's Dead" playing from his left hip pocket. Knowing the ringtone to be exclusive to Morrigan, he drew Alison's phone out and handed it to her. Kissing him on the cheek and excusing herself, she stepped away before answering the call.

"Hey, kid. What's up?"

"Ugh! Stop calling me 'kid'!"

Ali giggled at the other girl's attempt at an annoyed whine. "Sure, Half Pint. No problem."

"Argh, whatever! What're you up to right now?"

"I'm at Full Sail getting ready to watch an NXT show with Roman."

"Oh, sorry, I won't keep you long. Just wanted to let you know that the docs say I'm good to get inked."

"Sweet!" Seeing Corey's colorful arms moving as he spoke to her boyfriend, Ali grinned. "I'll ask around and see who we should get to do the work."

Agreeing, Morrigan wished her a good evening before hanging up.

Walking back over to Roman, who was now speaking with Brian James and John Laurinaitis, Alison dropped her phone back in his pocket and slid her arm through the bend of his elbow. Introductions were made, and they spoke pleasantly for a few moments before the talk turned to Roman's involvement in current storylines and how he felt the Shield was performing. Leaving him to his conversation, she stepped away to speak with Corey.

"Hey, kitten," Corey smirked and introduced her to Tyler Breeze. "He's an asshole, but aren't we all?"

Laughing, Alison rolled her eyes and got to the point. "So, I'm looking for a tattoo artist, and I thought you might know of a few closer than New York."

"Yeah? Getting some work done?" His eyes flicking over her exposed skin, he grinned. "Your first?"

"No, just the first that you'll be able to see without me being in a two piece." Ali laughed at his surprised expression. "I forgot you hadn't seen them before.

"I want a sleeve. A younger friend who just survived cancer designed it and is getting one at the same time."

"Are we talkin' color or black work?"

"A mix of both, actually. Mine will be mostly black and grey work with muted color. Hers will probably be brighter."

"Well, if you don't mind leaving Pensacola for it, I would head down to Ascension Tattoo in Orlando. You'll have to email them the pictures you're wanting so they can look them over, since they do all custom work."

Thanking him, she returned to Roman's side and they went to watch the show.

O:O:O:O:O:O:

The NXT show – and the rest of the weekend – went well, though far too quickly for Roman. They had moved all his clothes into her house so they wouldn't have to lug them around the larger things, and he had let his parents know that they could take what they wanted for their own home. They would be moving the last of his things in the next few weeks, depending on when he was home.

"Alright, everyone!" Joey called from the front of the bus that everyone shared on the Canada tour. "We're going to be pulling into a place up here with a gas station and a Tim Horton's. This is the last pit stop for a few hours, and we'll be in Saskatoon in about five."

There were various groans as everyone moved tired, stiff bodies to trundle off the bus and into the buildings. Everyone would've liked to have been in the other city the night before, but there had been some last minute logistics problems. As a result, the entire WWE roster was now just leaving Edmonton at 7:00 AM.

Roman was paying for his coffee and sandwiches at the coffee shop, wondering when Ali would be leaving with Morrigan to get her tattoo done later that day, when Dean came jogging in, a shit eating grin stretching his face and popping his dimples into stark relief.

"So, I have a surprise for you."

Roman frowned at his hyper friend. "What, man?"

Instead of answering, Dean simply held up the magazine in his right hand. There, in perfect HD clarity was Alison. The shot was taken from her waist up, her sports bra exposing the "Daddy's Girl" tattoo along her left side. She had been throwing punches, her wrapped hands balled into fists as she jabbed and twisted to the side. Her hair was pulled back from her face into a wild, messy ponytail. Her body glistened with sweat.

_Special addition!_

_Alison Hedland opens up about life, love, and what it takes to have a body like hers!_

_Crossfit_

_Yoga_

_Dancing_

_How she keeps in shape at home and on tour!_

"Holy shit, dude!" Heath Slater shook his head as he entered the shop, his own copy of the magazine clutched under his arm. "You're girl is awesome!"

Rolling his eyes, Roman took the glossy pamphlet from Dean and filed onto the bus with everyone else. They had a 5 hour drive from Edmonton to Saskatoon, and he had hoped to get some sleep before checking into the hotel there. However, he could see multiple copies of Alison's interview going on the bus, and knew that he had to read it along with everyone else.

"_The first word that comes to mind when meeting Alison Hedland is _stunning_. She is in possession of a beauty that is at once shocking and disarming. The second thought is about how poised she is, as if she is quietly laughing to herself at the chaos around her." _Roman nodded, unable to argue with that assessment.

The photos accompanying the first part of the article were all candid, showcasing her easy demeanor and laidback smile. There were shots of her playing with Grom, who was soaking up the attention; and a few of her sipping coffee while Leighla's hands – Seth pointed out her rings so everyone knew – were visible braiding her hair or touching up her makeup. The photographer had used lighting angles in some shots to highlight the smattering of freckles over the bridge of her nose and along her cheekbones.

Jericho's voice piped up from a few seats behind Roman's. _"Ms. Hedland has a very explicit and total no Photoshopping clause in all photo shoots. So she is always honest about her appearance, scars and all."_

Naomi responded with a quote from further down the page. _"I like scars," Alison smiles as she rubs at a light line running down the side of her hand, which she says she procured sneaking through a fence during her teen years while in Germany. "They let me know who's real."_

A page later, Roman nearly growled. There was a sequence of shots of Alison moving through a simple yoga sequence from a plank, through Downward Dog, and up into Warrior. She wore black yoga pants and a Shield tank top that she seemed to prefer.

Dolph whistled from his seat across the aisle, flashing Roman the same page. "Damn, dude."

Zack Ryder laughed from his spot between Dolph and the window. "How the hell did you manage to pull that one off, man? You're like a fuckin' Jedi Master or something!"

Roman chuckled and shook his head at his friends' antics before turning the page and losing all train of thought. Ali was on a deep blue yoga mat, the top of her head and forearms on the floor. Her back and legs were bent into such a deep back bend that her toes were touching her fingers behind her head. The facing page featured her in a perfectly executed standing bow pose, her face more visible than in the last picture and a perfect mask of calm concentration.

Naomi picked up the narrative. _"Yoga really opens up your airways, which is great for singing, and stretches out all the knots you build up just living. It's great for stress relief as well." _

"_I got into Crossfit maybe two years ago." _Seth piped up from the seat in front of Roman. _"It's really helped me to understand what my body can do and what my mind is capable of."_

Nattie's husky voice was next. _"When I'm in the gym, it's not social time. I'm not there to talk or make friends. I'm in battle. It's not me versus the iron. It's _me _versus _me_, and whether or not I'm mentally strong enough to do what my body is able to."_

The next ten pages were full of pictures of Alison lifting weights and sweating it out in the gym. Some photos had been taken in black and white while others were in true color. Ali flushed pink in exertion, her cheeks and arms awash in a blush. Her exhaustion was on clear display as, in the last few photos, she lay sprawled on the gym floor, a water bottle dangling loosely in one hand.

Dean chuckled softly from his spot beside the window. _"Alison regularly lifts weights far heavier than her own body. In fact, she is quite close to deadlifting a weight equal to that of her boyfriend, WWE's own Roman Reigns. When asked about the powerhouse of The Shield, Alison has a rare moment of coyness._

"_Roman is very protective. He bought me a puppy that will end up being a very good guard dog. I'm sure we'll fight from time to time, our tempers are much too bad not to, but we're good." She bites her lip and pet's the massive puppy's head in thought. "I'm his. He's mine. And that's all I'm going to say about our relationship."_

Jimmy and Jey both looked over their seats to give him approving nods while Naomi simply sighed and rolled her eyes.

Roman's phone dinged with a twitter alert. Since he only had a few people set for that, and most of them were on the bus with him, he drew his phone out of his pocket and selected the necessary application.

Alison and Morrigan grinned at him from the screen, their arms bare in halter tops that tied behind their necks and left everything from their collarbones down free. Their hair had been braided in such a way as to circle their heads and end in high, messy buns. He could tell by the background that they were on Ali's plane. _AllyRally: Getting inked, son! On our way to fulfill a promise. #FuckCancer_

Roman chuckled and responded. _ AllyRally: Have fun Babygirl! _

Going back to the magazine, he soon caught up with where everyone else was in the article. There were more shots of her throwing punches at both heavy bags and a trainer's padded hands. She spoke about what she ate at home and on the road, and how individual diets need to fit what each person needs, as her fat intake on the road is, by necessity, far higher than when she is living at home. There were shots of her in pointe shoes on rooftops and fire escapes around the city, showcasing both her musculature and the photographer's excellent use of light.

Tucking the magazine away, he listened to the others talk about his girl and how great she looked as he sipped his coffee and thumbed through Twitter. A tweet from Perez caught his attention, and he frowned darkly.

_PerezHilton: Who is that tattooed cutie posing with AllyRally? One of the artists? #StayDown_

Recognizing the hashtag, Roman frowned darkly. What the hell would Corey be doing with Alison? Narrowing his eyes, Roman switched over to his normal feed and found the pictures Perez had been talking about. In them, Ali and Morrigan – now wearing hoodies over their halters – stood with their arms looped over each other's shoulders, in front of a set of windowed doors while Corey made faces at the camera from behind in a classic photobomb pose. The next showed the girls laughingly copying his pose of putting his fists, tattooed knuckles first, at the camera.

Corey had retweeted the pictures with his own comments. _Had the day off, so thought I'd keep a friend company while they got inked._

Sniffing dangerously, Roman brought up his contacts and sent a text directly to the other man. _You with my girl right now?_

His response was almost immediate. _Wasn't doing anything, and figured I'd come hang since I know the guys here. Is that okay?_

He really wanted to say no, and that the other man needed to leave his girl alone, but he understood that Ali was making friends with the men that he liked within the company. She wasn't doing anything wrong. Instead, he took a deep breath and thought about it for a moment before responding. _Just make sure they do good work and that she knows I didn't send you to babysit._

_Sure, man. No problem._

Nodding to himself, Roman settled back in his seat and looped his travel pillow around his neck. With any luck, he could get some sleep before they made town, ate lunch, and napped again before the show. And, since he hadn't gotten to see the design beforehand, at least he had some pictures to look forward to later.

O:O:O:O:O:

While the WWE superstars were filing into Canada's favorite coffee shop for something to help them get through their morning, Alison and Morrigan were halfway to Orlando. Too wired to doze, the two were busy taking silly pictures and sipping orange juice while splurging on McDonald's breakfasts. The teen had packed on nearly fifteen pounds since completing treatment, and could almost have passed for a completely different person.

Branwyn had busied herself filling out all the extensive paperwork necessary to re-enroll her daughter into public school. As she had been able to finish her sophomore year before becoming too ill, she had only missed a little less than a month of the current year. The principal and superintendent were both averse to keeping her out, and were able to test her into all the required junior year classes. Now, if all went as planned, she would be going back to school the following week with a clean bill of health, a group of friends that were glad to have her back, and some kickass new ink for her right arm.

Looping their arms around each other's bare shoulders, they had Ronnie snap a picture of them with Ali's phone. The morning sickness hadn't returned since they had been home from New York, and the brunette was laughing and sipping tea as she watched the younger girl bounce with excitement. There was so much happiness in the air that even the men were grinning unconsciously, Irish catching himself from time to time and trying to maintain a straight face until he forgot to marshal his features.

They were soon on the ground and on their way to Ascension Tattoo on the north end of downtown Orlando. Morrigan had emailed the sketches to the parlor late Friday night after Ali relayed the information, and Alison had called the next day to set up an appointment. As there were only a few changes made and very little resizing to be done, Ali had offered to pay for the work itself plus twice what Nik and Neal (the two artists on staff who worked best with the styles depicted) usually charged per hour if they would open for her and Morrigan on Monday. As soon as they heard the girl's name and story, the two were very willing to open on their days off.

Ali and Morrigan posed in front of the doors to the adorable brown building that would be their art studio for the next day or two. Neither girl held any illusions about how long they would be in the chair, and both knew that they would be back the next day. Nik and Neal had both warned Ali how painful certain spots could be. Ali had laughed and told them about the ink on her ribs, and that the younger girl had been through aggressive chemo. There couldn't be too many things worse than that. She had already set up a suite at a local hotel so that she, Ronnie, Irish, Morrigan, and Branwyn could all sleep comfortably that night before returning the next morning.

When Corey snuck into their picture, both girls dissolved into peals of laughter before Ali introduced everyone. It took nothing to convince Mori to pose with them, knuckles out, for another photo. They had just uploaded the pictures to Twitter when a man with long brown hair and a beard opened the doors to welcome them in.

"Hey, how are you ladies doing today?" His voice was a soft tenor, calming and sweet. "My name is Nik. I'll be working on Miss Hedland. That's Neal, and he's all about shooting on a girl named after a goddess."

"Call me Alison or Ali, please." Ali grinned and was pleased to see that they had set up their tables right next to each other.

"Hello, Morrigan." Neal, who seemed like he could be Nik's slightly older and more scruffy brother, chuckled. "Never thought I'd actually be saying that. At least not while still breathing.

"Anyway, we've set up over here so you girls can hold hands or talk if you need to. Getting shot on together can be very . . . emotional."

Nodding, Ali and Morrigan's mother filled out all the needed paperwork while Irish made a circuit of all public areas of the shop before settling into a comfortable chair in front of the door. Ronnie pulled some papers from her bag and began looking over the properties she had researched for her and Irish to start their family. Branwyn was permitted to sit in a padded folding chair close to where her daughter would lie.

"So," Corey laughed and kicked back in another of the chairs. "Roman wanted me to let you know that coming here was my idea, and that he didn't send me to babysit."

"Good." Ali smirked and pulled her hoody off.

"Oh, and the whole WWE roster is reading your interview."

Ali laughed and shook her head. "I'll have to look at it when I get home. Hope it's not too bad."

Nik and Neal began preparing their skin, first shaving and washing the area before laying them down and carefully applying the transfer paper onto which they had put the designs. Each one took a little wiggling, as they had to take the shape of each girl's arm into account, but they were soon satisfied with the placements and began readying the small pots of ink.

Three hours later, both girls' outlines were finished and Corey had taken some really lovely shots of the process, including one of Branwyn holding her smiling daughter's face and looking into her eyes as they both cried. There was another of Ali and Mori's un-inked arms outstretched with pinkies wrapped around each other's while they lay talking quietly. That one he tweeted with the caption: _Now, they're sisters._

Deciding that food was in order now that the outlines were finished and the men could use a break, Ronnie went on a food run with Irish to a little bar-b-q place. Returning, she passed out pulled pork sandwiches to everyone sitting on picnic tables behind the shop and then munched hers with sweet pickles she had pulled out of her purse. When Ali couldn't stop laughing, everyone soon joined in.

"So, you two doing okay?" Neal had finished first and was standing a bit away to have a cigarette, not wanting to be too close to Morrigan with it. "Need to wait a while longer?"

Morrigan shook her head and looked to Ali. "I'm okay. This is **way **easier than some of the crap I've had to do in the last year."

Ali nodded in agreement. "I say we go until you guys need a break or until supper time. Whichever works for you."

"Hell," Nik smirked. "Good music, decent conversation, pretty clients that don't whine every two minutes, and someone to grab us food when we need it? I could do this shit all day every day."

With a shared chuckle, the group returned to the building.

They didn't finish for the night until nearly 7:00, when the artists finally admitted that they needed to go home and stretch out their aching backs and shoulders. Each sleeve was well over halfway done, with most of the main colors having been added. Now, they would need to add highlights and shading to Morrigan's colors and different shades to Ali's more muted artwork. Both were confident that they would be finished by mid-afternoon the next day if the girls were willing to meet them at 9:00 the next morning.

Agreeing happily, they separated for the night. Corey decided to head to the apartment he shared with a few of the NXT competitors while Ali and her group headed to the hotel. Caring for their new ink the way they had been instructed, both sat down to watch Raw and cheerfully boo each other's favorites. Later, when Roman called and asked to see pictures, Ali first told him he'd have to wait to see it just like everyone else.

Then, she told him what she would like to be doing to him with her hands . . .


	25. Settling In

**Special shoutout to Alisi824 for checking up on me and being awesome and to Angelsdee327 for giving this a pre-read.**

**Setting up some stuff for the coming chapters here.**

"Hey, baby!" Alison's smile nearly split her face as she skipped across the kitchen to greet Roman at the door when he returned from the Canada tour with the company. "I was hoping you would get home before too late!"

"Are you hungry?" She had eaten dinner without him when he called to let her know that he would be a few more hours. "Do you want me to fix you something?"

"Hell yeah, I'm hungry, but you aren't cooking me anything until tomorrow morning." Gripping her wrist, Roman pulled her into his chest, bending her back over his arm and kissing her deeply. "It's about time I get to see that new ink isn't it?"

Moaning quietly, Ali was surprised at the sultry tone of her voice when she answered. "Big Man, you can see anything you want."

Chuckling, Roman bent and put her over his shoulder, swatting her rump lightly. "Oh, I plan on it, Babygirl."

Closing the door with his foot and depositing her on her feet, Roman took no time in stripping her out of the Shield hoodie and the t-shirt she had on under it. Gripping her hips, he sat her on the bed and peeled off her jeans before toeing out of his own shoes and stretching out on his side next to her. The bedside lamp afforded him just the right amount of light to really study the delicately shaded tattoo now running the length of his lover's left arm.

Starting at the mandala capping her shoulder, Roman traced his fingers over the navy ink. Black and grey beads and lace dripped from its edges, framing a small black crow with glinting black eyes. A padlock shaped like a lacy heart was made to appear as if it were growing on the back of her upper arm, the key resting halfway down her bicep on a vine wrapped around a set of rusting gears. There was a pocket watch laying open just above the crook of her elbow, the chain wrapped around her forearm and leading to a beautiful barn owl in flight. A small boy dressed as a wolf and wearing a king's crown stomped along the inside of her wrist. Grey flowers filled every available space, shaded with hints of purples, blues, and deep reds.

"Like it?" Ali had been watching Roman studying her arm, but couldn't make out what he was thinking.

Smiling grey eyes met hers before warm lips met a tiny grey flower that rested daintily on the thin bone of her wrist. "Love it, Babygirl."

Wrapping her arm around his shoulders, Ali luxuriated in the feeling of Roman pressing kisses and soft nips to her arm and then her neck. Sliding her hands under his shirt, she worked it up and off just before he made it to the sensitive spot behind her left ear. Moaning, she angled her head to give him more room, giggling as he unclasped and removed her bra with practiced ease. Chuckling in response, Roman went on to worship Alison's diminutive body for hours, attempting to convey just how much he loved her without words.

O:O:O:O:O:

"Are you _sure _Roman was okay with you running around with me instead of hanging with him this afternoon?" Leighla scrunched her perfectly shaped brows in concern as Ali turned the big black vehicle down yet another suburban street. "I know you only have a few days with him."

"Please, you know the three of them had interviews this morning and then gym time this afternoon." Ali chuckled. "Besides, Roman's aaaaall about quality over quantity."

"Okay, ew." Ronnie pulled a face from her spot in the back seat. "TMI, babe."

Leighla worried her hands in the passenger seat before checking the address on the printout in her hands. "We want 310. But, he's good with you being out without your security?"

Ali giggled. "We're lookin' at houses in nice neighborhoods Hun, not going somewhere swarming with people or paparazzi. Besides, the guys are going to be bringing the new security guy over this evening. Roman has no idea that we've already chosen, so he thinks it's just another interview."

Ronnie laughed. "Does he know that this guy is Samoan?"

"Nope," Ali giggled and slowed the SUV when the house numbers hit the high 200s. "I try to surprise him from time to time."

"Right up here, I think," their new friend smiled. "The light orange one."

Ali nodded and pulled in behind the sedan already parked in the drive. The closed garage was attached to the house, the fence running the length of the property turned to meet the corner of the driveway. Ronnie pointed out that there was a decent amount of space for Kevin, the couple's small dog, to run around and play.

The owner of the home was a well-dressed older man with salt and pepper hair and an easy smile. He greeted the three women warmly as they exited the vehicle and walked up the sidewalk. The loose white shirt and khaki pants making him look a bit like the man from _Jurasic Park _and causing the women to smile.

"Stephen James," he nodded at them as they introduced themselves and then focused on Leighla. "Well, let's go have a look around. Sorry about the paint job. My partner wanted to get it painted before we rented it out, but it just didn't happen for some reason."

"Nah," Leigh shook her head. "I like it. It looks like a cute little pumpkin."

Stephen chuckled lightly. "Well, alright then."

The house was small, though the soon-to-be-married couple wasn't in need of too much space. Two bedrooms had large windows to let in the afternoon sun. The kitchen and dining area were open to the living room, with a small laundry room to the side. A large garage would house two vehicles easily, and there was a small shed along the back fence for storage.

"Now, you said you have a dog?" Stephen had made himself comfortable at the kitchen table while the women looked around at their own speed.

Leigh nodded. "A little Yorkie."

"Aw, I just love Yorkies." He nodded to himself. "We allow small dogs with an extra $100 deposit. Even the best trained doggies have accidents, after all."

While Leighla got to work discussing the terms of the lease, Ali and Ronnie poked around in the kitchen. They both knew that this was the house she wanted, and that Seth would go along with just about anything. He was happy if there was a decent gym close by and restaurants with good food. The girls had done enough research on Pensacola to know where the best places were to work out and how far one would have to drive from each potential house to reach prepared food.

Leighla put down money for the first month's rent plus a security deposit, signing the lease then and making arrangements for Seth to do so that afternoon, before suggesting lunch. "I could really go for a nice salad or a sandwich right about now!"

Stephen, locking the door behind them before dropping the key into Leighla's waiting hand, smiled brightly. "Well, then you ladies should go to the Deli Case. Best sandwiches in town, if you don't mind a small place with a big crowd."

"Sounds great!" Ali grinned and programmed it into her GPS before pulling out of the drive.

O:O:O:O:O:

With lunch out of the way, and the guys all finished with their training for the day, the girls arrived home just after the men. Alison hugged Dean and Seth hello and nodded as they explained that Roman was in the shower. Settling herself on the couch, she scrolled through her Twitter feed as everyone discussed the house the newest residents of Pensacola would be renting and just generally relaxed while they waited.

One mention in particular caught her attention._ Saw the beautiful AliRally at the Deli Case with some friends for lunch. #Perfection_

Giggling, she showed the tweet to Ronnie, who simply grinned and shook her head. "Can't take you anywhere, girl."

The same username, a nonsensical list of letters and numbers, popped up again with another comment: _So AliRally should really dump that meathead wrestler and come hook up with me._

"Hey, Babygirl," Roman's deep voice interrupted her perturbed thoughts, driving the anonymous idiot from her mind. He pressed a kiss to her lips and flipped Dean the bird as the other man made gagging noises while playing with Grom. "When are your guys getting here with the possible new one?"

Checking her watch, Ali grinned. "Any time now, actually. We called them after stopping for lunch."

The soft chime alerting them to the front gate opening followed her words, and Leighla waved Ronnie back to her seat before going to open the wide front door.

Whatever Roman had been expecting in the prospective new man, it could not have been further from what walked through the door moment later.

The man following Irish through the entryway was an inch or two shorter than Roman, though his shoulders just a bit more broad. His deep brown eyes were evenly set in his wide face, and were quick to sweep over the assembled group before focusing on Alison, to whom he gave a brief nod in greeting. The black hair falling to his chin in soft curls and the caramel skin of his left arm, decorated in a traditional Samoan tattoo, had Roman smirking. The man's right arm, from where it appeared from under his short sleeve, was some sort of complicated machine structure that reminded him of the cyborg hand in _The Terminator_.

"Alapule Savea, I'd like you to meet everyone." Alison introduced him around to those he hadn't met yet, paying special attention to how Roman was grinning openly at the other man.

"'Sup, man." Roman put power behind his handshake, and was glad to feel the other man do the same. Weakness in a Samoan was unacceptable, as far as Roman was concerned.

"Good to meet you," Alapule grinned widely. "Huge fan, man."

Roman smirked at Ali before focusing on the large man. "No one told me they were interviewing a Samoan!"

"Yeah, they wanted to surprise you, I think. Was kind of surprised that they were willing to hire me with this arm."

"So, you're in?"

Alapule chuckled. "Yeah, signed the papers for everything this morning."

Dean joined the conversation with a laugh and a congratulatory handshake. "That's great, man. Congrats."

Ali shooed everyone to sit in the living room while she began putting some chicken to marinade in the refrigerator in preparation for dinner. Roman watched her move around the kitchen with a smirk on his face. He would have to come up with a proper punishment for her sneakiness.

"So, can I ask. . ." Seth trailed off and motioned to the mechanized arm.

"I was with the Marines Special Operations Regiment, working counter-terrorism in Afghanistan. Our convoy was hit by an IED, and I was thrown out the door of the MTVR. No one ever found my arm."

Dean whistled softly. "Well, shit!"

Leighla excused herself when the conversation turned to discussions on war. Smiling, she hopped up onto a stool at the kitchen counter. "Anything I can do?"

"Want to grab the tea and water pitchers from the fridge? I'm making some lemonade for Ronnie. Poor thing has some major cravings happening."

Leighla giggled and took the glass pitchers across to the coffee table, leaving Ali to retrieve glasses and an insulated bucket of ice.

Roman saw his opening, hopping up from his seat and sliding in behind Ali at the counter, and blocking anyone's view of her from across the room. Wrapping his arm around her waist, he spread his large hand over her hip and pelvis, pressing her rear into his groin, making sure the heel of his hand just barely ground against the top of her slit. He smirked darkly and chuckled at her sharply indrawn breath.

"Gonna have to punish you for not telling me about the new guy."

Ali gasped as his hand rotated, his fingers now cupping her sex firmly. "What? Are you gonna spank me?"

"Babygirl, that's the **first **thing I'm gonna do."

Seeing the blush tinting her alabaster cheeks and the heat in her eyes Roman was satisfied that his threat had garnered the desired result. He slid the tray of glasses from the counter and strode confidently back to the others. That Alison needed a moment to collect herself had him wishing he could just take her up the stairs immediately.


	26. Punishment

_**!WARNING! This chapter is ALL SEX of a Dom/sub nature.**_ **Contains: Consensual Spanking, kneeling, mirrors, subspace, and aftercare. I wanted to show how this sort of relationship can develop naturally and safely.**

Roman had not touched her since he cupped her hours before. Alison had sat beside him for three hours before rising to gather the chicken from the refrigerator, which Roman then took out to grill. He would send occasional smirks her way, his eyes promising an evening that she wouldn't soon forget, but his hands stayed well away from her creamy skin.

It was driving her insane.

Each time his fingers straightened the line of his shirt or reached for his glass at the same time Alison moved for her own, she could feel the heat off his skin. Goosebumps had taken up residence along her arms and down her spine, the anticipation of his hands on her body making her wish the others would leave soon. When Roman suggested that everyone stay for coffee after dinner and to help her clean up the dishes, she nearly wept. By the time Dean and Seth left with Leighla and the others filed out to their cars, Ali was ready to crawl out of her skin with want.

"Alison." Roman's deep voice rumbled through the living room from where he sat, arms stretched along the back of the couch. "I put something for you to wear on the bed upstairs. Go put it on."

Feeling her core flood at his words, the thought that she could protest didn't even occur to her. Spinning on her heel, she nearly sprinted up the stairs, the sound of Roman's deep chuckle spurring her on. On the bed, she found a pair of her thigh high fishnet stockings and the heels she had worn when she danced for him over video chat. A slip of paper with '_no bra, no jewelry and hair down!_' written on it had been placed on top. Leaving her lacy boyshorts on, she wiggled out of her shorts, slid her shirt over her head, and removed her bra.

Roman entered the room only to stride to the bed, remove a pillow, and place it on the floor in front of the comfortable arm chair without sparing her more than a glance.

"When I come out of the bathroom, I want your knees on that pillow."

The quiet "yes, Sir" slid from Ali's mouth before she even knew she was going to speak. He smiled, pleased, before slipping through the door and shutting it firmly behind him.

Roman could not have been more pleased with the way things were progressing. After the first time he spanked her, he had begun reading up on the subject of natural submissives and what it meant to be Dominant. While he knew they weren't going to be doing this every time they were intimate, he wanted to be able to give them something that they both craved, though he was just beginning to understand that his naturally dominant tendencies were something she was probably subconsciously drawn to.

Ali finished dressing, taking out her earrings and removing the few rings she wore. Taking her hair out of the messy bun it has been in most of the evening, she shook out her curls and then moved to the pillow in the middle of the floor. It took her a moment the get down on her knees while wearing the deeply heeled shoes, but she eventually made it and proceeded to wait. Unsure of what to do with her hands, she eventually just placed them in her lap, worrying her fingers nervously.

She could hear Roman moving about in the bathroom as well as the faint sounds of Grom playing in his crate. There was no radio playing, and the sound of the ocean's waves rolling up to shore could be heard through the cracked window. Being alone with her thoughts only caused Ali to think about what was to come, and she felt her legs begin to tremble as wetness seeped into the band at the tops of her stockings.

"Stop moving!" The admonition cracked heatedly through the room, and Ali nearly jumped. "Head down!"

She focused on keeping her hands still, finding that placing them palm down on her thighs worked better than clasping them together. Soon, her breathing evened out, and she began to focus on the heels digging into her thighs and the sound of Roman's appreciative chuckle as he sank down in the chair.

"Do you remember the words you need to say?"

Ali had to swallow twice before she could muster enough of her voice to answer him quietly. "Green, yellow, and red."

"Good girl," Roman chuckled softly at Alison's visible sigh of pleasure. "Now, I'm going to have to punish you for not telling me that you had picked out a new security guard. I don't like that there are all these men around you when I'm not here, but I know that you need to keep yourself safe. I understand that you were trying to surprise me, but I asked you if you had hired anyone, and you said no.

"A lie is a lie, and that's not fair to either of us. Understood?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Stand up," Roman's order was quiet now, his voice telling her how confident he was in this new role. "Face me."

When she did as she was told, her breath caught in her chest. He was wearing a black suit, the material shining just barely in the light. His black shirt was the perfect matte compliment while the light grey tie brought out the subtle colors of his eyes. His mustache and beard had been trimmed so that his face was masculine and perfect.

"Now, why are you being punished?"

"Because I lied to you, Sir."

"Very good," Roman nodded and then frowned. "Did you do it because you want to replace me?"

"**No!**" The shout burst from her chest, her surprise evident in her eyes.

Roman grinned and chuckled lightly, having known that this wasn't the case at all, but wanting to test her just a bit. "Good, because you're mine. I'm not letting you go. Understand?"

Alison nodded quickly, thrilling at the possession in his voice. "Yes, Sir."

"Turn and face the end of the bed. Legs spread."

Without a word, Alison moved to comply.

"Bend over and rest your head on the bed. Hands over your head."

Alison arranged herself as he specified, blinking as Roman came to stand within eyesight. He worked his cufflinks free before removing his tie. Telling her to raise her wrists, he cinched it tight around them without coming into contact with her skin. Leaving her there, he removed his suit jacket and then pulled a swivel mirror from where it normally stood beside the closet so that Ali was staring at her own prone form.

The feel and sight of Roman's fingertips gliding down her spine had her gasping. "I'm going to spank you now. Fifteen strikes. You watch every one, and you count.

"If you close your eyes or miss a number, we have to start again."

The first swat was soft, only slightly more than a tap, and Alison smiled softly as she counted it out. The second was only minutely harder, but was placed on her upper right thigh. Roman stood to the side, using his left hand, so that Ali could watch each movement and felt her tremble in anticipation as he would raise his hand and then patiently pick his next target. She began making little whimpers and stuttered moans as he swatted and then lovingly stroked her pink skin. He encouraged her by telling her what a good girl she was being to take her punishment without protesting.

After the tenth smack – this one a sharp slap to her left cheek – and a calming rub with the palm of his hand, he slid his fingers down over her center. She had soaked the lace resting there with her arousal, and he chuckled darkly. Reaching for the waistband, he pealed them down over her hips and left them to rest at her spread knees, just loving the hell out of the visual she presented. Standing, he petted at her softly for a moment before landing a resounding crack to her right cheek.

Ali threw her head back in surprise. "Eleven!"

"You're so wet for me, Babygirl." Roman kissed along her shoulder blade before letting his hand swing down in a slightly harder _thwack _to her right thigh. He rubbed her clit just slightly as he sank his teeth into the clear skin under his mouth, biting just hard enough to leave a bruise for a few days.

Her shuddering moan had him laughing softly before he swatted her again and listened to her voice as she counted the thirteenth strike. "You go ahead and come whenever you're ready."

When she made a confused sound in the back of her throat, Roman chuckled. "I'm going to make you go again and again, Babygirl. And I'll only fuck you, good and hard and deep, when every cell of your body is **screaming **for me."

Blows fourteen and fifteen were given – and counted – swiftly, his hand returning to her throbbing clit soon after, and Alison was coming long and hard with a scream of his name on her lips.

Dropping to his knees behind her, Roman parted her folds and rolled his tongue over and around her clit. Alison's eyes were glued to the mirror, the sight of Roman's head working behind her as his tongue pushed and prodded at her throbbing bundle of nerves had her sinking her nails into the bed clothes and her hips twitching as she came again.

Standing, Roman slid her panties down her legs and rid her of her shoes before he grasped her thighs and urged her to crawl over the bedrail. Once she was up, he flipped her onto her back. "You keep those arms up there."

She wasn't given time to answer before his lips fastened around her clit and his tongue began drilling into it with a staccato beat. She was coming again even as she wondered if he was ever going to slide his tongue or fingers into her throbbing wetness. She was beginning to feel empty and unfulfilled without him, and she felt herself grinding against his lips, even as she kept her eyes locked on the reflection across the room.

Pulling himself up onto the bed, Roman worked one knee between her thighs and pressed it against her center. Resting his weight on one arm, he brought the other hand up to fondle and pinch one of her dusky pink nipples as he took the other into the hot cavern of his mouth. Alison was writhing and moaning again a few minutes later, her hands and shoulders pressed into the mattress as she undulated under his solid frame.

Pulling her gaze away from the mirror, Roman smiled as he pressed on her lower jaw. When she opened for him, he rolled his tongue into her mouth and kissed her sensually. He tweaked her nipples with his strong, rough fingers, and luxuriated in her moan of pleasure.

She couldn't understand what was happening to her. She felt so good, and at once so bereft that she wanted to cry. Roman's hand and mouth were magic, and she even enjoyed the feel of his firm thigh resting against her center, but the orgasms were beginning to feel as if something was missing, and she knew only he could give it to her.

That realization brought her up short, stealing her breath and the orgasm that had been building along with it. Roman was with her. He was all that she would ever want or need. No one else had ever gotten her the way he did. Without comprehending fully what had been holding her back, Alison let go.

A sense of peace settled over her, a faint static filling her until the sounds coming from her mouth faded and then stopped. Her muscles were quivering, though every inch of her was at peace. The room began to fade in and out around her, her vision going fuzzy.

Roman noticed that her responses had died off to nothing. "Babygirl?"

"Yes?" Her voice was a whisper full of wonder.

"What's your color, baby?" He was aching to be inside her, but refused to cause her harm.

"Green, but I need. . ." She made a sound of frustration, unable to focus.

Roman chuckled lightly and freed himself from the confines of his pants. "I know just what you need, Babygirl."

Still shifting against his thigh, Ali sighed again. "How?"

"Because you're mine, Babygirl. I've got you."

He slid into her easily, and she nearly sobbed as he reached above her head and slid her arms down around his shoulders.

"Thank you," she sighed in his ear as she came around him immediately. "Thankyouthankyouthankyou."

Roman came quickly, too turned on and primed to hold out once he felt her scorching wetness, and he slid out of her and to the side. Gathering her body against his chest, he freed her hands and rubbed her slightly bruised wrists. She shivered once against him, and he slid them both from the bed. Wrapping her in the soft quilt, he carried her into the bathroom.

Sitting on the edge of the deep tub, he kept her wrapped on his lap as he waited for the water to reach an acceptable temperature. Once satisfied, he balanced her on the closed toilet and plugged the tub so it would fill. He quickly rid himself of the rest of his clothes and lowered the lights in the room before he finally unwrapped Alison's shivering body.

"Big Man?"

"Shh, Babygirl." Roman hushed her with quiet words. "I've got you."

Easing them both into the warm water, Roman softly ran his hand up and down her spine. Kissing her temple, he began whispering to her.

Alison came back into her own body to the most delicious feeling. Roman's hands were gliding over her wet skin, and he was pressing kisses to her head. She stretched languidly and sighed against his chest.

"You're such a good, good girl. Love you so much, Babygirl."

"Mmmm. . . Love you too, Big Man."

With a soft sigh, he gently began to wash her hair. "How are you feeling?"

"Really, really good."

"Perfect." Pouring conditioner into his hand, he applied it to her curls and ran his fingers through the strands to help prevent tangles.

"Is this part of my punishment?"

"No, Babygirl. This is aftercare."

Alison had never heard the term before. "What?"

"I've got some books you can read if you want to keep doing this sort of thing."

She nodded a bit. "Not all the time."

"No, Sweetheart. Not all the time." He rinsed her hair and then stood them up to get dried off and into bed. "Want something to eat? Drink?"

"Hot chocolate?"

Roman chuckled and dried her body before slipping a soft nightgown over her head. "Anything you want, baby."


End file.
